Azure Waters, Crimson Tide
by EternalFluffy
Summary: A crystal blue sea, ruled by dual princesses...a sea witch and her twin shark familiars...a peaceful, happy world... Yet, for one brother, fate might not be so easily averted... (100% AU, rating will increase later).
1. Part 1 Chapter 1

**Fair warning that this fanfiction will eventually get pretty dark. **Rating _will _increase in future chapters. Nothing sexually explicit will occur, but this story will deal with some very dark themes later on.

**This fanfiction is completely and totally an AU**. I'm not trying to say "this could have really happened". It couldn't. This is not intended to be any sort of "Sal apologist" story.

Hello. It's been a very long time since I've posted anything, so my writing might be a bit rusty. I apologize. But this is the first time I've had a story compelling enough to really work on in quite a while.

My characterizations may be a bit different than expected. Wadanohara, especially, is more mature than usual, but I think, in this universe, she grew up differently, so it would have an effect on her personality.

I apologize to Old fans, as well. I don't hate him, I promise, but this role seemed to make sense for him.

Regarding the "Salmon" thing, I know that his name is literally "Salmon-san" in Japanese, but...I just thought it was a neat little touch. Beware of cute.

Unfortunately, most other characters besides the main trio and familiars will pretty much just be cameos, since I really want to focus on them. There are just so many characters in Wadanohara.

I'm sorry for these long notes, but I always get nervous in a new fandom and want to address _everything_. Neverthless, enjoy, and praise be to Mogeko.

(-)

**Part I**

Chapter 1

Fresh salt air. Freedom. The infinite world rolling out towards the horizon. A soft breeze brushing over. Serenity. Hope. Possibility. The sea was absolutely beautiful this afternoon, its gentle little waves fanning by.

Most everyone else grew tired of this sight after looking at it all their lives. It became the same commonplace vision as a tarred road in our world—just another ordinary aspect of life that didn't even deserve a thought. But not to her…never to her. She loved it with all of her heart, and the image never faltered. This wonderful, picturesque world was her own, and it never tired her, no matter how many islands she visited, no matter how long her voyages took.

A little smile peeked onto her lips as her hands slid over the smooth, gray surface beneath her. It was all so perfect, and she loved every moment. Right now, their destination didn't even matter…it was these small moments together that counted. Just spending time out here…with them.

"We should be there soon. I don't really understand why you want to go there, but if you're really sure…"

"Aaaand jump!"

"Of course. It's a lovely place, really. It's just a little hard for people to see the appeal sometimes."

"I know, I just…don't want you catching cold."

"Whee-hee!"

"It's no problem. But if you're really that worried, I can cast a rain-repellent spell."

"That would probably be a good idea, yeah."

"Fwoo!"

"Hahaha."

"And this better not be for some dumb fetch-quest either!"

"Whee!"

"No, not at all. I just wanted to spend some time together. It's been quite a while. We've been doing a lot as a whole group recently, so I've kind of missed this."

"Ta-dah!"

"Will you _knock it off already_?!"

"…Nope. Too much fun."

"_Rrrrrrgh_…!"

She laughed. Oh, she really had missed this.

Today, the sea witch Wadanohara was taking a little trip on the surface with her twin shark familiars. She had five familiars in total, but the two shark brothers were her first, and she hadn't done anything with just the two of them in quite a while. Familiars bound themselves to a witch through magic and also their hearts, so despite their varying personalities, she really loved all of them in their own way. Even so, these two…these two were a little bit special.

The small pigtailed girl smiled and leaned a bit back against the tall dorsal fin of the big, gray shark she rode on. It was a lot of fun to ride on Samekichi's back again instead of using her regular boat for transport. This first shark was a bit irritated now, and could use a little calming before they arrived. Samekichi's jagged mouth turned down in an even deeper scowl than usual, and although his eyes always looked a little angry, they seemed even more so now. He could be kind of gruff sometimes, and easily angered, but underneath was a wonderful heart of gold. He cared a lot for her…and for the others as well, though he never really showed it. Wadanohara could always feel safe and comfortable in his warm, unspoken protection.

Currently, Samekichi was gliding along the surface of the sea, glaring over at the head of another shark, which bobbed along beside him. "Do you _always_ have to be the center of attention, Sal?"

"Well, yes. Most of the time, at least."

"Did I ever mention how much I utterly loathe you?"

"Every day of my life."

"Good. Never forget it."

Wadanohara couldn't help chuckling a little. The second shark, Samekichi's brother, Sal, loved to get on his nerves and poke fun at him. While Samekichi leisurely swam and carried Wadanohara on his back, Sal had been jumping from the water over and around him, performing aerial stunts like backflips and spins, like some kind of show dolphin. In fact, it was hard to believe they were brothers sometimes, because Sal actually _looked_ more like a dolphin. He was smaller and slimmer and also pure white, with round blue eyes. He was much more cool and collected under normal circumstances, but the thrill of the adventure must have been getting to him. Plus, bugging Samekichi was his all-time favorite hobby…as was trying to steal Wadanohara's attention and make her smile. Most of the time, he succeeded.

Although she felt just a slightly deeper connection with Samekichi, she loved having Sal around, too, and in the past, she used to ride on him once in a while as well. He had a kind heart, despite his intermittent quirkiness.

As frequently as the two shark brothers fought, it wasn't too hard to tell that they really did care for each other underneath it all. In fact, only Samekichi has been chosen as Wadanohara's familiar at first, when they were all very young…but Sal had insisted on being tested for familiar status as well, because he couldn't bear to be separated from him. Even though he would say he resented having to share the position with his brother, Samekichi had really been very happy on that day…when Sal had passed and had come to join them.

And although they'd never known it before, the pair of them made a nearly flawless combat team. Samekichi was definitely the stronger of the two, but Sal was quicker and slightly more agile. While Samekichi was more skilled at feeling out a situation and acting on instinct with the right timing, Sal preferred to hang back and form an analyzed plan for dealing with it. Samekichi's abilities were more physically orientated, while Sal's were more magically…exc. In fact, that may have been the reason Wadanohara was permitted to have both of them for her familiars at such a young age…they balanced each other out almost perfectly.

Normally, novice witches were only allowed a single familiar to start, though they could acquire more as they gradually grew in power and knowledge. And Wadanohara had _five_…which was _extremely _rare. The limit was usually three…most apprentice witches couldn't handle having more than three familiars…to connect with so many different hearts and spirits. But Wadanohara actually found it rather simple.

Even so, most people weren't surprised that she'd been able to achieve such a feat…after all, she was the great wizard Meikai's daughter…and Meikai was possibly the most powerful and revered wizard in the entire ocean. To her, though…he was just Dad. Her loving, calmly patient, sometimes eccentric Dad. Maybe they'd pay him a visit later today, in fact. He lived at Sea God Palace, along with her surrogate mother, Tatsumiya. Wadanohara didn't live with them herself because once she'd started her formal witch training, it was advised that she move out on her own to focus on her magical development. It was completely fine, though—she never had to worry about money, and with so many familiars, the house was never lonely. Plus, she could visit her parents anytime she wanted to—sometimes she even stayed over on a weekend. It would be her duty to help protect the sea…so she knew how important being their witch really was. This area hardly ever came under attack, except for a few occasional misunderstandings with the neighboring Tosatsu Kingdom, but still, it was critical to always be prepared, just in case.

Right now, though, training came second. Today was adventure day. Technically speaking, familiars were an important aspect of a witch's magical skillset…so, spending time with your familiars _was_ actually time spent training.

Samekichi continued at a smooth, even pace, while Sal skipped up and down with the waves next to him. Wadanohara closed her eyes for a few minutes, just savoring the gentle rocking sensation and the movement of the soft shark body beneath her. The next time they opened, a multicolored lump had appeared in the distance, slowly, slowly growing and brightening.

"Here we are," she announced. "Almost there."

A little gravitational tug poked at her center as Samekichi suddenly sped up…probably eager to get out of the water and away from his brother's embarrassing swimming habits. A few more lines of inconsequential banter were exchanged, though they mostly stayed quiet as the island approached.

Majestically, a hilly, mounded land mass emerged from within the blue ocean spray, many muted colors dotting its paths. For whatever reason, all islands in this sea were the same geological shape…though their "flavors" could be entirely unique. Atmospheres, plant and animal life, locations of cave openings…all of these were unique to each island, and Wadanohara yearned to explore them all. She'd already been here, of course, but it happened to be one she didn't get to visit very often, and one she enjoyed quite a bit.

A little rumble from below indicated Samekichi's displeasure…but oh, well, he could just deal with it for now. At last, they came up to the soggy, tan shoreline, the sharks effortlessly gliding in between the rocks to the beach.

Wadanohara expertly hopped from Samekichi's back into the sand, with only a slight puff of a sand cloud around her shoes. The ground was so wet, it was packed together tight. A constant drizzle flowed down her white sailor suit and skirt, dripping off the ends of her brown braids…but she seemed altogether unfazed.

With a quick flash of blue light and a deep warping noise, Samekichi phased into his humanoid form, tramping up out of the water. Sal followed closely behind, but he was a show-off as always and did his morphing in mid-air during a leap. Yet somehow, he still managed to land on his newly re-formed feet.

"Hah! That was amazing! Did you see that?!"

"I've learned by now to tune out everything you do, so no. You don't exist, as far as I'm concerned." Samekichi grumped.

"Well, how about Wadanohara? You saw that, didn't you, Wadda?"

"…"

"Wadda?!"

She giggled. "I saw, Sal, I saw. It was really something."

He put his hands on his hips and slightly puffed his chest in reply. "Well, naturally."

"You're really begging for a smackdown today, aren't you?"

Right now, in their humanoid forms, the two sharks looked a lot more like the twin brothers they really were. Their hairstyles were nearly identical, and they were the exact same size. They could easily borrow each other's clothes, not that either of them would want to. It was like night and day looking at the two of them next to each other—dark gray fin-spike hair and white fin-spike hair, deep, thoughtful dark blue eyes and mischievous bright blue ones. Oddly enough, despite their different sizes in shark form, even their shark tails were the same size this way.

Samekichi wore a dark gray jacket with a white feathery collar over a lighter gray shirt and anchor necklace. Trendy dark pants and black boots completed his punk-like ensemble. Meanwhile, Sal dressed more simply, in a dark gray, buttoned jacket and matching pants over a light gray turtleneck. Samekichi's look just said "guy thinks he's a tough bad-boy punk", and Sal's said "dude thinks he's a smooth, trendy hipster"…which was pretty much on par. Though most people would never know how much of a sweetheart Samekichi really was, or how much of a goofball Sal really was.

The trio hiked up onto the island pathway while being drizzled with rain. Off the beach, flowers of various colors lined a winding, muddy walkway. Giant snails about the size of cats crawled along between, clearly enjoying their environment. Most people would call this place gross and damp, but sometimes, it was just…peaceful. The shaded, cloudy sky, pastel flower blooms, and the constant pattering of raindrops…it was altogether quite calming.

"So…what are we here for, again?" Sal finally asked. "I'm sorry, I wasn't entirely paying attention."

"Big surprise there," Samekichi quipped.

He'd probably just heard the words "surface" and "with Samekichi and I" and the rest completely didn't matter.

Wadanohara paused at a split in the path and whirled around, smiling brightly to them. Droplets slid off the little blue ribbon of her white hat on the left side. "We're here to pick up some flowers!"

"Flowers…?" Samekichi's eyes shifted around, taking in the sight of the massive flower bushels around him. "But this is Hydrangea Isle. Only hydrangeas grow here."

"That's fine." She shook her head a little, dislodging a few more spattering drops. "Hydrangeas will be perfect to use in the next type of spell I'm learning. And there's so many here, it won't matter if we take a whole bunch." Her arms spread out, excitedly. "So I want us to pick a whole bunch of them and bring them all back!"

"…." The lids of Samekichi's blue-gray eyes lowered. He was probably less than thrilled about picking flowers and disappointed that they'd come out here just for this…but he would do it, if it was for her.

Sal seemed to sense his displeasure, and so he nudged him in the ribs. "Hey. Bet I can get more than you."

He rolled his eyes. "Do you have to make _everything_ a contest?"

"Uh, yes. Why do you even bother asking such rhetorical questions?"

"True." Samekichi muttered and turned away.

"C'mon, Samekichi!" Wadanohara prodded. "We can start at the top of the hill!"

"And I'll start down here, that way we'll cover more ground." Sal nodded, and then suddenly took off into the bushes, his feet squishing into the mushy ground. He wasn't looking where he was headed and narrowly avoided collision with a very confused, knee-high snail. "And that way I get a head start, too, haha!"

He promptly disappeared beneath the flowers, and a moment later, Samekichi blinked back to life. He followed after Wadanohara's beckoning gaze, and they headed up the path side-by-side.

"What an idiot," he groaned, and she softly chuckled.

This was what he'd been waiting for, and she knew it, so she'd made up a reasonable excuse for them to go off somewhere on their own. Wadanohara's father had been teaching her about this kind of stuff, so she could properly handle it. Samekichi had been dying to spend some time with her alone, without his doof muffin of a brother hanging around. She knew that. It was kind of adorable. And that was why she purposely arranged it this way. She kind of liked that little jealous look of his.

He had kind of a crush on her, which she earnestly returned, though they were both too shy to confess their feelings yet. It was cute, seeing the signs when his brother was getting in the way. Although… Wadanohara worried sometimes that Sal might have a secret crush on her too.

But part of her just felt that…he knew about all of this. Despite what he may let on, Sal was actually very intelligent. He probably knew all about their hidden feelings and liked to joke around and flirt with her just to get on Samekichi's nerves. The whole situation was just so ridiculous and amusing.

Samekichi seemed a lot calmer once they arrived at the hilltop. His shoulders relaxed, and his grumpy face gently faded. A tiny smile even graced his lips as he followed Wadanohara to a bush and began plucking out hydrangeas. She hummed a little as she gathered bushy, pastel purple and blue flowers in one hand.

"You really shouldn't let him bother you, you know. It's exactly what he wants."

Samekichi smirked. "I know. But…where's the fun in that?"

Of course. She'd known that all along—that their banter was always just their own weird version of brotherly love. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember them ever having a serious, deep-seeded fight.

Ah… Right now, in Samekichi's comfortable glow…it was like heaven. They made a bit more small talk while they gathered flowers together, about some of their neighbors in town and the last time they'd had a familiar training session. Just talking to him naturally like this…it felt so light and blissful. To see him smile that little smile and halfheartedly chuckle to himself. It made her so happy.

Once Wadanohara's fistful of flower stems was getting too cumbersome, Samekichi took some for her…and softly rubbed a little mud stain off her hand in the process.

She smiled. "It looks like we've almost got enough now. Maybe just a bit more, and then we can head back. Okay?"

Samekichi nodded, a bit wistfully. He yanked out another flower bunch and stared down into it for a moment, before finally getting up the courage and shifting his gray eyes up again. "…Hey, Wadanohara?"

"Mm-hmm?" Wadanohara spun around, a light blush dusting onto her cheeks through the gray haze of the rain. It was just so adorable when he was all shy like this.

"…What was your _real _reason for coming here?"

"Huh?" She coyly played dumb with him, hiding her smile behind her massive ball of flowers. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Samekichi gave a frustrated sigh. "Don't act dumb with me. I know…this can't be just for spell practice. You could have just gotten flowers shipped to the house if you really needed them. And I know your father would provide you with any kind of material you might need for magic. You've got some other plan for these flowers, I just know it." His eyes shifted towards the ground. "It better not have been some stupid mermaid or a random fish or something asking you to go get them flowers, because if they're imposing themselves on you again…"

"No, no!" Wadanohara waved a single hydrangea bushel at him, trying to catch his attention again. "Nothing like that. But, alright, I guess you caught me." She giggled. At heart, she was just too kind a person to keep up any sort of ruse for very long.

With round, innocent eyes, she smiled up at Samekichi, reflecting the affection she held within her. "I wanted to get these to…liven up the house a little. It just feels kind of…dull lately, and I thought these flowers would be perfect to brighten everything up and maybe bring everyone a bit of cheer. They'll help remind everyone of the surface and all the wonderful things in our sea, even on days when we're too busy to leave the house. I think it would be nice to share some with the townspeople as well, so that's why I thought we'd get as much as we could carry."

Samekichi could only blink. Sometimes, her level of kindness and thoughtfulness was simply astounding, and he was just left speechless. It was one thing he really loved about her, though. "Ah…uh…well… Yeah…I guess…that would be nice…to have. I never…thought about that."

Wadanohara giggled. She spent the next five minutes watching his bashful reactions while they finished gathering hydrangeas and completely enjoying every moment.

At last, she decided they'd picked enough and they started to head back down the path, arms wrapped around their bundles of flowers. They didn't even get halfway to where they'd started when a wavering shout caught their attention.

One brief glance to the side revealed Sal sprinting towards them, weaving in and out of hydrangea bushes and snails like a single white-capped streak, brandishing two huge bouquets. Instantly, Samekichi's face darkened again, and Wadanohara could only stifle a laugh.

He slowed to a halt in front of them, splashing through a small puddle, and stepped up in front of Wadanohara. With one graceful motion, he swept into a bow and held one of the bouquets out to her, clutching the other behind his back. "For you, miss."

She laughed. "Oh, my, how sweet of you!" Though she couldn't actually hold any more flowers, she made a little curtsy as a show of acceptance, and muffled gagging sounds came from Samekichi beside her.

"What's the matter?" Apparently, Sal had heard his noises too. "Is someone jealous? Perhaps you would like a little token of affection as well?" He grinned devilishly and held the second bouquet out towards him in the same manner.

"Piss off," Samekichi responded.

"Oh my _goodness_! Such _boorishness_! I would _never_!"

"You've got freaking mud all over your tail, I hope you know."

"Oh! Whoops!" Sal whipped around and tried to wipe the little muddy dollops off, but he only succeeded in smearing it around and making his white tail appear light brownish.

Samekichi groaned. "You're useless."

"Sooooo…" Sal cocked his head at him, purposely dodging the insult. "How many have you got? I've got thirty-seven."

"Who gives a shit?" Samekichi snapped…but Wadanohara looked down and started tallying the flowers in his hands with one finger.

"…thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine!"

"_What_?! There's no way. I'm counting them myself."

The toothy cringe on Samekichi's face was pretty comical as Sal stepped uncomfortably close to him and began picking apart the flower bushels in his arms.

"Damn it! You're right, Wadda. I can't believe you beat me by just two." He threw up his hands. "Arrrrgh! Well, story of my life, I suppose."

Playing along, Wadanohara freed one hand and quickly patted his shoulder. "It's okay. I'm sure you'll catch up one day soon."

Sal rubbed at his forehead a little. "Er, thanks for the vote of confidence…I think."

There were some days when Wadanohara really did feel a little bad for him. Sal was the younger of the twins, by only a few minutes, and so it was sort of natural to him to compare himself to his older brother and try to play catch-up. Though she'd told him several times that he should stop trying to compete with him…that he had his own unique talents separate from Samekichi's, and that he was just as good…it was hard to get that through to him.

"Are we leaving now?" Samekichi spoke up. His cute little pouty jealous face was turned towards her with questioning eyes.

"Yes, yes." Wadanohara led the way back in the direction of the beach. "We've got what we came for. We should probably get back undersea and dry off."

Though that sounded completely nonsensical to anyone else, in this sea kingdom, it was entirely logical. Something about the magic in the transportation between sea and surface made it feel like…being under the ocean was like being comfortably dry. Except that fish and mermaids could breathe fine in it, of course.

The soles of her boots squished into the sand as they met the shoreline…and suddenly, Sal ran out ahead of her, waving his bouquets and trailing footprints.

"Hey! Hey, Wadda! You should let _me_ carry you back this time!"

"Huh?" Samekichi halted beside his sea witch and directed a death stare at him. "She doesn't want to ride with you."

"But that's no fair!" Sal scowled, half-seriously. "You got to bring her out. Why can't I do the way back?"

"You're too small," Samekichi bluntly stated. "You're not comfortable."

Sal planted his fists on his hips. "Well, maybe she likes them small! You don't know that!"

Meanwhile, Wadanohara could only smile to herself. By now, she was pretty used to them play-fighting over her like this. "It's alright," she finally spoke up, looking to her gray shark with dancing eyes. "You can carry the flowers for us."

A silent pause. Samekichi blinked as he took in what this actually meant. "W-What…?! You're actually going to…!"

"Yeah." She firmly decided. "It's been a long time since I've rode with Sal. If you could kindly carry our flowers for us…"

"Yeah!" Sal wasted no time chiming in. "We need you to carry the flowers! Your big back would be perfect for that!"

You could practically hear the grinding of Samekichi's teeth. Damn. It just made perfect sense, and he couldn't refute it with anything now. "Alllllllriiiight," he grumbled out between his lips. "But just for now."

"Hwheeeee!" Sal's exclamation was almost a whistle. Wadanohara chuckled at him as he broke into a little dance in place. "Ohhhh yeah! This is going to be fun!"

More indistinct mutters and complaints arose from Samekichi, but he eventually conceded to walk into the water first and morph back into shark mode. Wadanohara and Sal loaded the giant mass of hydrangeas onto his back, tying them in place with a magical string she transmuted from a small branch nearby. The pastel flowers ringed around his dorsal fin so tightly that you could barely see the tip of the fin among them. Frankly, it was amazingly adorable—the big, tough-looking great white topped by a massive flower crown.

Once they were all finished, Sal gave him a teasing little rub on the nose, and he growled.

"Someone really wants his hand bitten off."

"Someone else could really use a massage." He laughed and turned back to Wadanohara. "You ready, Wadda?"

She nodded to signal her approval, and he slipped down into the water, effortlessly phasing into his ivory dolphin-shark form. Carefully, she lifted her dress a little and waded in, seating herself a bit awkwardly on his back. Of course, he was quite thinner and there wasn't as much leg room, but at least she had just enough space to fold her legs sideways and settle in comfortably.

"Hold on." His round blue eyes swiveled back to look at her. "Hold on real tight, and don't let go."

"Alright," she consented, and gripped onto his fin like a handle.

Growly shark noises sounded from Samekichi, and he thrashed his tail a bit. "Just get on with it."

"Alright, then." Sal beamed, as much as a shark could. "Let's gooooooooooo!" As soon as the word left his mouth, he shot off into the water, causing Wadanohara's braids to fly out behind her.

"H-Hey!" Samekichi barked. "Freakin' slow down!"

But there was no stopping an overexcited Sal. Pretty soon, they'd all but left Samekichi behind, a small gray lump in the distance, and they sped along the water's surface, streaking past birds and fish in flotation devices. As much as she tried to fight it, Wadanohara couldn't help but laugh out loud with enjoyment. Sensing her delight, Sal bobbed up and down a little, making her slightly bounce. An excited squeal subconsciously burst out of her. Though she generally preferred Samekichi's more leisurely pace, it had been so long since she'd ridden Sal that she'd almost forgotten how fun it could be. He was more like an amusement park ride than simple transportation.

"Okay…" He spoke up, with a devious little smirk. "Make sure you've got a real good grip now… Ready?"

At his request, Wadanohara shifted her hands on his fin a little and tightened her legs over his body. "Ready!"

"Here we go!" Sal dove under the waves, pulling her down with him. Crystal water flowed around her, gushing past as they streaked downwards… And then, he suddenly changed direction, shooting upwards, accelerating.

Wadanohara could feel the water pushing back against her, and she closed her eyes a moment. _He's…he's going to jump!_ She realized, and adrenaline rushed through her chest, though from fear or excitement, she couldn't tell.

An intense _splash_ popped in her ears, and when her eyes opened, she found herself arching through the air. "Ha…hahahahaha!" Laughter bubbled out of her, though she clung to the white fin with all her might. This was…pretty amazing and wonderful. Sal laughed as well, a strange noise more akin to clicking. Then, they splashed down, spraying water over themselves, before leveling out and just drifting for a moment.

"That was so much fun!" Wadanohara couldn't help exclaiming. "…One more time?"

Sal chuckled. "Alright, but just once more. We're almost to the gate."

Their time was almost over already…but Wadanohara could just feel it in her heart. She'd strengthened the bonds she shared with her two wonderful shark familiars, and she was practically radiating joy. _I want to stay with them…for all time_, she wished…just before slipping down into the sea once more.

(-)

"Hello, everyone! We're home!" Wadanohara and the shark twins stepped through the doorway of the three-story underwater house, looking more like a bushy pastel mass than three separate people.

On their way back down to Deepsea Town and through the town itself, they'd encountered quite a few curious fish and one spacey jellyfish, asking about the hoard of hydrangeas. To her embarrassment, Wadanohara had had to explain that she'd be handing some out later, but that they were too encumbered at the moment to stop and pick some out. Pulmo, the jellyfish girl, worked at Sea God Palace, so she was probably floating off now to tell Lord Meikai that his daughter had returned safe…if she didn't get distracted on the way.

The other three familiars were surprised when the sharks struggled in, thoroughly surrounded by flowers. They immediately stopped what they had been doing at the living room couches and stared…though for entirely different reasons.

"Sheesh! Took you guys long enough!" The small seagull girl squawked and pattered closer to their side, her wing-arms flapping.

A shy dolphin girl followed her, though she hung back a few paces. "Pretty…" she softly mused, focusing black eyes on the hydrangeas. "Not so scary…like this."

A tall boy with octopus tentacles poking out the bottom of his robe glided up and wordlessly began taking flowers from Sal's and Wadanohara's arms, easily holding them in his multiple ones. Promptly, he turned away and began placing them in various vases and cups around the house, completely ignoring the hydrangea-laden Samekichi.

"H-Hey!" the gray shark boy cried out. "What's the big idea?!"

Sal chuckled at him, but held out his hands to take some of the flowers—a surprisingly benevolent gesture from him when it came to his brother.

Wadanohara strode into the center of the living room to get a good look at the bouquet placement. "You can just…leave those ones there, Fukami, it's fine. Oh, and…a bit more purples on the left? That's perfect."

"So, so you guys went to Hydrangea Isle?!" the seagull girl pestered, looking first to Wadanohara, then to the sharks.

"Obviously." Samekichi plunked the rest of his pile onto the end of the nearest couch before taking a seat himself.

"Ah, man! Wish I coulda come too!"

"You would've just annoyed everyone by throwing slugs at them." Sal exasperatingly shrugged and crossed his arms.

"Aw, c'mon, Sal. You would've totally been down for that."

"Hmm…I suppose…only if we were throwing them at Samekichi."

Samekichi groaned. "You know, someday, I'm going to just…murder you in my sleep."

"Eh. I don't doubt it."

The dynamic between the shark duo and the remaining trio of familiars was a little weird…but somehow, they managed to mesh together into a happy little family. Memoca, the seagull, got along with them pretty well, though she sometimes got on Samekichi's nerves, and Sal would join her in getting on Samekichi's nerves. She really liked Sal, because she could rope him into helping her prank people…though sometimes he would grow tired of her antics and just wanted to be left alone. Unlike her, he at least had tact and the maturity to know when such things wouldn't be appropriate.

Fukami, the octopus, quite obviously held some sort of grudge against Samekichi for unknown reasons. It was impossible to know what he was thinking, since he was always so mysterious. He calmly tolerated Sal, though, and although the two weren't exactly friends, they could frequently be found quietly reading together in the den.

And Dolphi… Well, Memoca's timid little dolphin friend was afraid of them both, so she hardly ever spoke to them.

In another minute or two, Wadanohara and Fukami finished setting up the hydrangeas, and the witch took a seat next to Samekichi's bundle, beginning to shuffle through it. "I think we should give everyone two. That way, there will be two different colors, if maybe they don't like the first one." She wrapped a pink and a blue bushel together and set them aside.

"I'm hungryyyy," Memoca whined. "Isn't it almost lunchtime yet?"

Samekichi glanced sideways at a shell-shaped clock near the wall. "Yeah. We should stop for lunch before heading off again."

"Good idea," Wadanohara agreed. "Um…"

"….Leave it to me." Fukami curtly nodded, his gray-aqua hair bobbing a bit. He strode over to the tables in the corner and began rifling through a small refrigerator. As it appeared, Fukami was their usual cook, and he was pretty darn good at it, too. Having ten operating appendages was probably a big help. Wadanohara cooked on special occasions, and once in a while, Sal made a few decent meals, to give the octopus a break, but the other three should not in any case be allowed anywhere near the stove.

"Huh?" Memoca glanced over when Dolphi tugged on her sleeve. "What is it?"

"Pictures…?" The little dolphin spoke. "Pretty pictures…please?"

"Oh, yeah!" Flapping her wings to get Wadanohara's attention, she announced. "Dolphi and I were in the middle of drawing, so…we're going to go draw until the food's ready, okay?"

"You guys sure draw a lot, don't you?" Samekichi commented.

"I-It's fun…" Dolphi mumbled.

"You should join us!" Memoca burst out.

"Eh, no thank you."

"Saaaaaaaal?" The bird-girl cocked her head at the white shark, almost pleading. "_You'll_ come, though, won't you?"

He frowned, tapping one foot as he considered it. "I…_guess_ so. I suppose it beats hanging around with _that_ idiot." He pointed his thumb, indicating Samekichi.

Wadanohara chuckled…then plopped a big pile of hydrangeas onto the gray shark's stomach. "This idiot and I will be finishing the bouquets together. Won't we, Samekichi?"

He groaned and sat up straight on the couch cushion again, though a little bit of a flush was creeping onto his cheeks. "Yeah, yeah…sure."

Everything was peaceful and right… Fifteen minutes flew by while Fukami roasted various ingredients in a pan. Sal didn't typically draw with the two girls like this, but he'd been bored anyway and wanted a change. Dolphi finished an adorable picture of their boat, with six colored dots standing at its prow for each of them. Memoca's was a bit of a mess because she couldn't make up her mind what to draw, but the thing on her paper now slightly resembled a snail, with some sort of demon horns. Sal drew a picture of himself leaping above the water, with Wadanohara on his back, and then spent a good while bragging about it to an excited Memoca and a slightly nervous Dolphi. Meanwhile, Samekichi and Wadanohara almost finished off all the bouquets together before Fukami came and slid plates of lunch onto the table.

Eventually, everyone gathered around the living room table, and there was just barely enough room for all of them. There was always just barely enough room somehow. During its construction, the house had only been intended for one witch and up to three familiars. Lord Meikai had used it himself, with his two, before moving up to the palace and then bequeathing it to his daughter once she was old enough.

Fukami had made some sort of vegetable rice dish, with chicken on the side, much to Memoca's horror. She tried to insist they only ever use steak or ham, but sometimes, they just couldn't help it. Samekichi only ever ate meat, so they had to include a meat portion with every meal…though Wadanohara had plans of trying to coax him out of that habit.

Oddly enough, though Sal was a meat-lover too, he really enjoyed vegetables as well, and had absolutely no problem with them.

"I'm all the more convinced you're not actually a shark," Samekichi had told him the first time they'd all sat down for a meal, and he'd been nibbling on some seaweed. "You're, like, part rabbit or something."

"Hey, if I'm part rabbit, you're part rabbit too."

"No, that just means you're probably adopted."

"Ha! If only I could be so lucky."

At this time, he had a small piece of chicken along with the rice, while Samekichi piled the majority of the chicken onto his own plate. Between all of them together, there were no leftovers, and Fukami was secretly grateful, since he didn't want to have to package anything else up as well.

Afterwards, Wadanohara began arranging the hydrangea bunches and spreading them out for all of her familiars to carry. They were going to go out into town and deliver the bouquets before making a trip out to Sea God Palace. That had been her plan all along. A few of the familiars seemed less than thrilled about it (particularly Samekichi), but they all knew how important it was to maintain a positive presence in the eyes of the citizens. After all, they were the ones designated to defend these fishy people from both external and internal threats. The various sea creatures that populated Deepsea Town had a right to get to know their own guardians.

There were just so _many_ fish in this sea that Wadanohara had already decided they would visit and just leave one bouquet at each house. The familiars even broke up into various groups at times to cover more ground. It was especially useful when one small flapjack octopus tried to kiss her as usual, and if Samekichi had been there, they would've wasted a lot more time. Tarako and Samekichi fought even more frequently and more intensely than Samekichi and Sal.

Eventually, they made their way eastward, handing out a bouquet to an excitable sea serpent and her eel partner as they came to greet them. The eel immediately dove into the hydrangeas and started ripping out petals, to which the girl yelled "Duuuuuude! Segurooooo! You're ruining them!" and tried to shake him out.

Further on, they bumped into a group of friends in the middle of concocting some sort of money-making scheme (though most of them weren't paying attention), and gave them two bouquets, as Wadanohara's way of trying to get them to stay out of trouble.

Their last stop was a wide house near the edge of town, and everyone came in this time. This place was the home of one of their closest friends, and it would be better if the gang was all here.

"Oh!" A boisterous voice sounded across the room almost as soon as they stepped in. "Everyone's here today! How exciting!"

Wadanohara walked in through the hallway, and everyone else followed. At the other end was a humongous lobster and a much smaller shrimp man in a suit sitting at a table and leisurely reading. "Good afternoon, Doloz, Cherryblod," Wadanohara announced.

"Aw, where's Lobco?" Memoca asked, glancing around near the bookshelves.

"She's out training with that witch of hers, I'm afraid." The lobster man, Cherryblod, spoke, softly closing his book and shaking his head a little. His extra-long antennae slightly swiveled. "She's spending a bit too much time with her lately, I think."

"Oh, honey, it's probably just young love," the lobster replied…though nobody wanted to make any comment on _that_.

Samekichi presented one bouquet for the two of them and a second one specifically for Lobco, as per Wadanohara's request, and set them up on the table.

"Oh, how wonderful, darling!" Doloz squealed, and even poked one with the end of her claw. "Plants from the surface! Thank you very much!"

"I'm sure she'll love these when she gets back," Cherryblod added.

By this time, it was already getting pretty late into the afternoon, so they didn't have time to stick around any longer. With polite greetings and good-byes, everyone finally set off for Sea God Palace.

It was a bit of a walk along the Sea of Stars, but it was definitely worth it. On the way, Memoca and Dolphi swung a couple of Fukami's tentacles, though he didn't seem to mind, while Sal and Samekichi bickered about some small thing, as usual. As they grew closer to the monumental Japanese-style tower, Wadanohara joined in and tried to keep them occupied.

Going to the palace was a bit of a mixed bag for all of them at once. Memoca grew quickly bored, Dolphi tended to wander off, and Sal was always uncomfortable there for some reason. Wadanohara had her suspicions that it might be due to a certain someone, but she really didn't want to bring it up in a group like this. Still…even when that person wasn't around, Sal really disliked being in the palace, so she was trying to talk to him now and keep him from thinking about it.

A squid door attendant nodded them in as soon as he saw Wadanohara, and they went straight into the long climb to the second-to-highest floor…where her father lived with his familiars.

This sea was ruled by two princesses who dwelled on the top floor with their attendants—Princess Uomi and Princess Mikotsu. Naturally, being in such an eminent position, Wadanohara was friends with the princesses as well, and they'd probably get to see them a bit later.

Legend had it that they were the daughters of the God of the Sea…and when it came time to choose an heir to the throne, both refused the rule if the other couldn't be at her side as an equal. Presented with the pearl holding the sea's blessed barrier, the two sisters broke it into equal halves, and to this day, each guarded her own half with her very life. One half was useless without the other…and so their reign as co-princesses was sealed. It was a wonderful story, and even though most citizens believed it to be just a fable, Wadanohara and her familiars knew it to be entirely true.

Just as they reached Lord Meikai's floor, they happened upon one of Princess Mikotsu's attendants, drifting along the hallway. "Oh. It's you, Wadanohara. Brought the _whole_ crew with you this time, hm? How very troublesome, hehee."

This one could be a bit of a bother, sometimes…and they liked to hang around Lord's Meikai's familiars quite a lot. A nautilus with trailing white tentacle hair and an oversized black robe dress snickered at them, and Samekichi glared right back, undaunted. "We're accompanying her to see her father today. You got a problem with that?"

"No, no, just…making an observation." They waved at him, sleeve flapping in the water.

Wadanohara smiled and clasped her hands together, pleading. "But…since you're down here already, Sheep, do you think you could let him know we're here?"

"Oh, alright, no problem." Sheep turned and waved at them a little again. "I was just heading in there myself, you know." The sliding door slid open, and the attendant disappeared inside for a moment.

Memoca childishly groaned at having to wait a little longer, but Fukami quieted her by poking her a few times with his tentacles.

It wasn't long, though, before the door slid open again…and on the other side, the Great Wizard stood before them, smiling gently. Wadanohara broke into a bright smile, and the familiars all bowed a little out of respect (though Memoca had to be forced).

"Aha, Wadanohara! I had word of your little adventure today, but I wasn't expecting you to come by. And with _everyone_ too! What a pleasant surprise!"

Lord Meikai really looked a lot like his daughter—his short, slightly ruffled hair was just a slight shade darker brown than her own, and his eyes were the same soft hue, reflecting the gentle soul within him. He wore the traditional witches' hat, in dark blue, matched by a long blue overcoat suit set and a cravat. Everyone really got along with him, since he was really just an older, wiser, male version of Wadanohara.

"Well, come in, come in!" He waved them in before anyone even had a chance to say a word. "We were just finishing up a training session."

"We brought some hydrangeas for you, Papa!" Wadanohara happily chattered. "And some for Tatsumiya and Old, too."

"Ah, that's wonderful! I'll have to find a good place to set them up."

And so, in a ragtag bunch, they stepped through the paper doorway together…and into a different sort of world.

(-)

Sal absolutely hated this place. He always tried not to show it in front of Wadanohara, because he knew how important it was to her and how emotionally attached she was to everything about this palace. But the honest truth was that he couldn't stand it.

There was something about the Palace of the Sea God—the atmosphere or the energy or something—that just set his entire body on edge. No matter where he went, he was always really uncomfortable here. It was like something unseen was squeezing lightly at his windpipe, freezing the edges of his stomach, and sending sparks along his legs. It was a weird feeling, and he couldn't accurately explain it to anyone. Was it…foreboding? Anxiety? Revulsion? Fear? Sympathetic grief? He couldn't be sure what exactly was causing it or how to alleviate it. Though…there was one possible contributing factor.

Samekichi knew about Sal's aversion to the place, and he suspected that Wadanohara had figured it out as well, though she wouldn't have as much insight as Samekichi. The brothers had…discussed it a little, and it was decided that Sal would only make the trip when he absolutely had to. Right now, he didn't absolutely have to, but… At the same time, he felt he couldn't keep avoiding it forever. He wanted to conquer this fear or whatever it was…or at least this part of it. A large part of this feeling…was probably that he didn't want to have to see _him_ again.

Everything was fine at first… Wadanohara chatted with her father about her trip and how they'd gone out to visit the townsfolk, and he beamed down at her and carefully arranged her flowery gifts on top of a bureau in the corner. Next to him, Samekichi was glancing around, hands stuffed into his coat pockets.

_I hope he's not worried about me_, Sal thought.

Meanwhile, Fukami was looking around with a similar vaguely-interested expression, although he was mainly eyeing the bookshelves. Lord Meikai sure had a staggering collection of books, spellbooks and otherwise. Dolphi stared at the various odd trinkets in the room, including hanging star mobiles and globes of various sizes and swirled marble colors. Memoca hopped up and down accenting Wadanohara's story when appropriate and generally trying to gather as much attention as she could.

"Have a seat, everyone, relax," Lord Meikai finally spoke once his daughter's story was over. He gestured to the cushions around the center table. "I'll set out some tea if you'd like."

"Oh, yes, please!" Wadanohara practically chirped. They awkwardly settled themselves around the table, and there was barely enough room. Meikai didn't have quite as many familiars, so his table wasn't intended to serve a group this large.

Samekichi immediately seized the spot next to Wadanohara…so Sal plopped himself down on the _other_ side of her and shot him a deliberately smug look. Samekichi growled back at him. "If she wasn't in between us right now, I'd…"

"Well, I _am_ in between you," Wadanohara asserted, patting them both on the head at the same time. "So simmer down."

Sal just continued grinning, and Samekichi grumbling as the others got themselves situated. Though he was playing up being aggravated, Samekichi was…clearly quite relieved. It was reassuring to see Sal acting like his usual self in this place…which was why Sal was forcing himself to. More than anything else, he hated when his brother fretted over him.

But only a second after Dolphi had taken her seat, halfway in Memoca's lap, another door towards the back of the room slid open…and _they_ walked in.

"Oh, aha. I apologize for not announcing it earlier, but we've got guests tonight," Lord Meikai glanced over at the two fairly tall figures, a teakettle in his hand. "Perhaps you'd like to join us for tea?"

"Oh! Wow, even Sal and little Dolphi came out. How wonderful!" The first exclaimed. "Unexpected, but wonderful all the same. Hello, Wadanohara! Hello, Samekichi, Sal, Fukami, Memoca, Dolphi…"

"Sure got crowded in here all of a sudden," the second commented. "Ain't no room for us at that table even if we wanted to."

"Oh, there's always a way," Meikai replied. "Though I know you're not the tea-drinking sort, Old, so we don't need to worry about you, haha."

"Yyyyyeah, that's about right."

Lord Meikai's first familiar, a female oarfish with white, red-tipped hair, in a flowing red kimono, happily chatted with Wadanohara and the other familiars who were willing to socialize. Tatsumiya was always friendly and caring, gently protective and wise. Though Wadanohara had no present mother, she was her mother in everything but birth. Whenever she didn't have the time to visit, Wadanohara would always write letters to Tatsumiya, mostly so she wouldn't worry. Naturally, she was the favorite of many of the other palace residents and servants, and she completely deserved the love they gave her. The second…..

One glance at Lord Meikai's second familiar, and you might immediately think he was Samekichi and Sal's father. His resemblance to Samekichi was striking, even at a distance, and they even dressed practically the same. Their fluffy-collared jackets seemed like they'd come out of the same punk apparel shop, though Samekichi's was shorter and also more…casual. Even their hair was almost the same shade, though this shark's was much longer and strung into a thin ponytail in the back.

In truth, Old wasn't their biological father…but he was essentially their foster parent. Everyone knew of this strange family dynamic… A long time ago, before he'd settled down and become Meikai's familiar, Old had been a friend of the twins' birth parents. They'd left the two very young sharks in his temporary care and went off to battle…a deadly feud between shark clans, perhaps…he'd never quite been willing to share the details. Of course, they'd both turned up dead only a few days later, leaving Old an instantaneous father. Unfortunately, neither twin could remember a thing, and Old never wanted to discuss them…he probably held some sort of unspoken grudge against them.

While Tatsumiya squished in next to Wadanohara, and a cheery Meikai doled out teacups, Old hung back, leaning against a cabinet and watching. Though he tried to ignore him as much as he could and focus on the group's chatter, Sal could just _feel _the weight of his eyes, locked onto him. The sensation grew oppressive rather quickly, and he had to force himself to laugh and respond to the others' conversation.

"It's very good to see you, Sal," Tatsumiya told him. "I always tell Samekichi he should bring you along more often."

"Ahaha…" he nervously chuckled. "Well, the palace is a little…overwhelming for me sometimes, so I prefer to stay quietly at home."

"Ah, it's okay, then." She gave him a gentle, understanding smile. "Still, it's wonderful when you do come to visit."

"Please, by all means, take him," Samekichi joked. "It would make my life a lot easier."

By now, the wavering feeling in his stomach and the clenching of his muscles was so distracting that Sal didn't even respond, and Samekichi knew to just drop it.

Once most of the tea was gone, and the snack biscuits had completely disappeared (mostly into Memoca), Lord Meikai began to clear off the table again, and Old finally spoke up to the entire group.

"Hey. Before you all dash out of here…why don't we put in a little training?"

"We just finished our session, though," Meikai told him, while rinsing out some of the teacups. "You never can relax, can you?"

"It would be beneficial to your daughter's magical development, especially since all of her familiars are now present." His deep eyes shifted over towards his "sons", and he cracked a little smirk. "It'll be a fun exercise, too. How about it, Samekichi?"

"Heh." Samekichi returned his gaze with a challenging smirk of his own. "You know I wouldn't turn down an opportunity to kick your crusty old tail."

"B-But, I'm the one who has to give the orders," Wadanohara clarified. "If…if we're having a familiar duel." She never much cared for these "familiar duels" herself, though she acknowledged that they were essential to improving her skills as a witch. If it wasn't for the healing magic administered to both parties afterward, she would never have agreed to them.

"Yeah, I know," Samekichi replied. "But I'll win using my own strength." He was already standing up from his seat and preparing to pick a fight with his foster father…it was pretty much already decided.

Lord Meikai laughed a little and dried his hands. "Oh, alright. I suppose we can have a go. Just try not to destroy any of the furniture, okay?"

_There. There it is. Here we go again._ Sal couldn't bring himself to watch, even when Wadanohara implored him and the other familiars to cheer her on.

Lord Meikai cleared a large space in the center of the room, and both Samekichi and Old shifted into shark forms for the oncoming battle. Memoca was getting all excited, while Dolphi hid under the table, and Fukami appeared to be falling asleep. Tatsumiya smiled pleasantly towards Sal, so he just focused on her face for a moment, trying to get his mind off of this. It was almost making him sick.

Wadanohara stood and clenched her hands into fists. It was obvious that she hated to see Samekichi get hurt, but she also wanted to do this for him.

Lord Meikai took up his long wizard's staff, topped by a moon-shaped pearl and teardrop-shaped crystals, flaring a cape behind him as he turned. He gave a soft smile to his daughter, understanding how she felt, and inclined his head slightly, granting her the first move.

"Alright, Samekichi," she ordered, determinedly setting her fists at her collar. "Shark Fang, left!"

With a sharp forward force, the smaller gray shark bolted off, gnashing razor teeth at his father's left side.

As a shark, Old was larger, more ragged, and a bit battle-scarred…though they still looked phenomenally alike. He turned, battering Samekichi back with his massive tail, but Samekichi connected, stabbing into the base of the tail with his teeth.

"Heh. Heh, heh…" Old gave a toothy grin, turning his angled eyes back towards him. "Still as hasty as ever, I see."

From the ground, Lord Meikai noted their position and also smiled slightly. "Okay, Old…Power Thrash."

The muscular shark flung himself upwards a bit, dragging Samekichi with him, and flung his tail with the whole extent of his force. Samekichi barely managed to yank himself around in the water before his body brutally slammed into the floor.

"Hah." He hung there a moment. He grimaced, as only a shark could. "Figured you'd try a dirty trick like that."

"Hey. All's fair in familiar battles. You need to be prepared for things like this, son."

"Samekichi, hang on!" Wadanohara called, gripping the ends of her sleeves. "Try a basic attack this time! To the front!"

Their battle continued just like this, neither one really seeming to overtake the other. Old was fast and vicious, but Samekichi was swifter and better able to dodge. However, whenever he did manage to land a solid hit, it barely made a dent in Old's tough hide. The two sharks battered themselves against each other, a blur of whipping tails and flashing teeth. At some point, blood had been drawn, and it floated up towards the ceiling like crimson dust...though there was no way of telling whose it was.

Memoca whooped and cheered for Samekichi, while Dolphi hid behind a silent, watchful Fukami. Tatsumiya watched, distantly, tossing in her observations here and there. Meanwhile, Sal could only shake his head at all of this. Hand-to-hand (or teeth-to-teeth) combat just wasn't his thing, and sometimes, he had a hard time understanding why his brother enjoyed it so much.

At least it seemed Fukami felt the same way. "Idiot sharks…" he muttered, when they again caught themselves in a teeth-wrestle.

"Idiot sharks!" Dolphi agreed, clutching tightly to his flowing robe.

"Yeah, really," Sal chimed in, waving his tail with irritation. "Sharks are total morons."

"Uh, dude…look who's talking," Memoca teased. "Samekichi, don't listen to them!" She cried out, cupping her wingtips around her mouth. He probably couldn't hear at all, since he was currently too occupied with trying to gnaw his father's left flipper without getting painfully tail-smacked. "You're awesome! Go, go! Tear him to shreds!"

"Hey, Dummykichi!" Sal called, after her, in the same manner. "You_ suck_!"

Memoca just shook her head, crossing her arms. "Man, that was weaksauce. Let me show you how it's really done… _Yo_, _fish breath_! _Make with the slaughter already_! Are those teeth or are those clams?!"

"Uh…" Sal shot her a confused expression. "I thought you were _supporting_ him."

She winked. "Just giving him a little motivation, that's all."

"I will never understand…"

It went on and on, the sounds of sharks chomping and smacking, and Wadanohara and her father calling commands. More little spurts of blood gently floated out, and poor Wadanohara was practically sweating with nervousness.

Finally, at last, the brutal battle came to an end…when Samekichi nearly tore Old's right set of gills off, and Lord Meikai called defeat. Though bloodied and beat, the two sharks looked ready to keep going for hours…but they couldn't disobey their masters' wills. Glaring at each other, they lowered themselves towards the ground and phased back into humanoid form.

Immediately, Wadanohara rushed to Samekichi's aid, holding him up, the terrible concern apparent on her face.

"_Yeah_, whoooo!" Memoca celebrated, unaffected by his current state. "That's our shark-boy. You sure showed that old man!"

He smiled, though blood gushed down his shoulder. "Ah, it was nothin'."

"I'm so sorry, Samekichi!" Wadanohara fretted. She wrapped her arms around him and quickly poured her magical energy into him, healing his wounds. A gentle light blue glow flowed from her, bathing over him, soothing away the bruises and punctures in his skin. "I…I got you hurt a few times there. It's my fault for not being careful enough."

He blinked, relaxing in the smoothening of his pain…and reached up a little, cupping her cheek in his black-gloved hand. "It's okay. It's not your fault, it's mine. And…we won, didn't we? You're…way better than you think."

The healing process complete, Wadanohara gave him a smile and gently moved. "Yes. I suppose so. …Thank you, Samekichi."

At the same time, Lord Meikai was gently healing Old, though the gruff shark-man seemed a little bitter with the outcome. "Why'd you stop me?" he asked. "I could've _had_ the kid."

Meikai just chuckled, his face bathed in his own healing glow. Old's wounds smoothed away and closed up, even the nasty fresh one on his neck, and once it was over, he pulled back his hands and fondly patted him on the shoulder. "Sometimes, you need to learn when to relent, old friend."

"Eugh…" Old looked away, slightly ashamed. "Hm, I suppose you're right."

Tatsumiya stood and glided over to their side, while the rest of Wadanohara's familiars swarmed Samekichi in bouts of congratulations and admonishment. "Well…now that you boys have had your fun…"

They looked up at the sound of her voice. Lord Meikai glanced at her in consent, almost like he could read her mind…and no one would be surprised if he actually could.

She bowed slightly, her red kimono floating around her. "If you don't mind…I'd also like to duel with Sal. It's really been quite a while."

Sal looked up towards her with wide blue eyes. He'd had a feeling she might ask for this, but he was still a bit shaken up and he wasn't entirely sure if he could. But on the other hand, he felt the same way—it had been so long since he'd dueled with Tatsumiya that he yearned to give it a try. While Samekichi frequently battled with Old, Sal was usually matched with Tatsumiya, since they were both mainly magic users. It was…admittedly pretty fun, if a little painful.

"…Alright," he finally agreed, slowly stepping beside Wadanohara. "I…would like that too."

Old lowly chuckled, turning his head away. "So, it's little Salmon's turn now, is it?"

Across the room, Samekichi shot him a deadly warning glare, as if to say "one more word outta you and I'll bite your neck apart."

A coldness swirled through Sal's stomach at the open mention of his full name. Even after he'd established his nickname, and everyone called him "Sal" now, Old refused to use it. It certainly didn't help the sick feeling taking over his body just from being here.

Tatsumiya smiled, gently, and took her place in the center of the room. "I'm so glad. Whenever you're ready, then."

Sal took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and swung his arms a little. The unsettled feeling was still very much present, but he was pushing it into the back of his mind, focusing on just the present activity.

Gently, Wadanohara came to his side and placed a hand on his forearm. "…Are you okay?" she whispered, her innocent face genuinely concerned.

How he hated worrying her like this. He just nodded, trying to focus his energy, unwilling to give her any indication of his inner turmoil.

"If you're sure…" She still seemed a little worried, but wordlessly acknowledged that he didn't want her to fret.

He stepped up to the makeshift arena, looking at Tatsumiya and trying to see only her and her kindness. Unlike the previous encounter, these two would battle in humanoid forms—the more magically-inclined state—so no shifting or preparation was necessary. Meikai positioned himself behind his trusted oarfish and stood ready, looking to Sal with curious eyes. At last, Sal nodded to Wadanohara, giving the signal.

"Alright…" She took a stance, planting her feet firmly on the ground. "Sal. Start off with Photogenic Breach!"

Good strategy…that would give him a moment to warm up, especially since he hadn't battled in such a while. Squeezing his eyes shut, he focused the magical energy generating within him and extended it to his body, sending a fizzle along his legs. This technique greatly enhanced his speed and maneuverability, and he'd be able to avoid many of the magical projectiles Tatsumiya could throw at him.

"Quickly, Tatsumiya!" Lord Meikai gave the order. "Graceful Banner!"

With a serene smile, Tatsumiya began to dance in the water…her red kimono and the long red antennae on her head furling around her body. Sal braced himself while she built up energy, preparing to avoid the attack.

Suddenly, she thrust her arms forward, sleeves billowing back, and a huge wall of translucent white magic flew out straight towards him. Electric force crackling in the soles of his feet, Sal threw himself forward, moving at a speed usually impossible for a human familiar. Tossing himself into a roll, he just barely avoided the onslaught, and quickly skidded back around, his shoes almost tearing up the classic tatami floor.

"Now, Dragon's Gate!" Meikai swept his arm out over-dramatically and chuckled as he gave the command. Apparently, he was enjoying this a bit more than he usually let on.

A concentrated ball of red energy emitted from Tatsumiya's forehead, hurtling straight at Sal. He dodged it, naturally, but almost immediately after, she was sending another one his way. Apparently, Meikai's strategy was to pepper him with attacks, hoping one of them might catch him.

"This is booooo-ring," the peanut gallery known as Memoca commented. "Is he ever even going to attack her?"

Dolphi seemed a little less afraid of this encounter, and was watching intently from beside a mildly interested Fukami.

"Ah, just you wait," Samekichi replied. He crossed his arms and glanced back towards the skirmish, smirking a little. "If I know my brother, the wait will be worth it."

Sal was softly panting as he avoided the onslaught, zooming and diving and tucking his body out of the way. It was even worse when Tatsumiya mixed in larger waves with the smaller projectiles. It _was_ getting harder and harder to keep dodging, so Lord Meikai's strategy seemed to be paying off. But Sal could feel the magic coursing through him with each lunge. If he could use the dodging pretense to make his way closer to Tatsumiya, then…

Wadanohara took notice of how he was moving…and realized what he was trying to do. It was perfect. They just needed to wait for the right moment.

At last, Sal weaved himself through a grouping of red energy balls, coming out only a few yards from the magical oarfish, and it was time.

"Now!" Wadanohara snapped, her cutesy voice much more loud and forceful than usual. "Alabaster Curse!"

Sal grinned. Of course. This was his chance. Crackling up from his fingers, he formed a mass of electric bolts, sparking in blue and white…and chucked the huge blast at her at incredible speed.

"A-Aaauh!" Tatsumiya attempted to swerve away, but she wasn't fast enough, and it caught her in the side. A sizzle buzzed out, probably the sound of it burning her through her kimono. She clenched her teeth together and forced herself to stay steady. It clearly hurt…but she wasn't quite down for the count yet.

Sal panted, hard. He could hear his own breath in his eardrums, and the distant, bubbled sound of Memoca whooping and Samekichi saying something. His vision was beginning to shimmer and blur. _No._ He told himself, _not now. I can't…have this now. Everything's going so well…_ But the hard truth was that the attack had drained a lot of his built-up energy, leaving him vulnerable to the effects of this uncomfortable environment.

Just below his collarbone, he could feel his heart beginning to pound against his ribcage. It felt…it felt so terrible… He gasped. Something was choking him—possibly his own windpipe—and he doubled over, hands grasping his knees. _No. No, no, no, no, no…Stop this. Calm down. _

Just barely, he thought he heard Samekichi shouting…footsteps…and his own father's low laughter. The tatami floor in his vision flashed red. Another lighter, yet forceful voice rang out…and it was all over.

In one huge magical blast, Tatsumiya caught Sal in his unguarded state, sending him careening backwards, tearing parts of his jacket, piercing his skin, and slamming him into the floor, on his back. Pain consumed him, and he nearly blackened out.

"_Sal_!" Wadanohara cried out, rushing out to his aid immediately. By doing so, she'd forfeited the battle, though it was pretty clear that Sal was in no shape to continue.

Tatsumiya bowed a little, though she cringed at the pain in her side. "Ohmygoodness. I truly apologize. Please heal him, quickly." Lord Meikai walked up to her side and began healing her at the same time.

Sal's eyes were closed, yet fluttering, trying not to lose consciousness, and Wadanohara knelt beside him, pressing her hands gently to his chest and pouring the healing magic into him.

"Man! He could've _had _it!" Memoca complained. "Why didn't he get out of the way?!"

Samekichi and Fukami just watched, grimly, thinking better than to say anything at this point. But Samekichi's face was even harder, because he _knew_ what must have happened.

After a minute of healing, Sal's breathing steadied, and the blood trailing down his face disappeared. Even the tears in his clothing were being magically repaired. Silently, he resented the sad, worried face his witch was wearing…but he met her eyes all the same, just to let her know that he was okay now. It was almost over…when a voice floated out of nowhere.

"Oh, my. Well, it seems our witches are in top form today, as usual!"

Everyone turned, nearly in tandem, towards the back doorway…and any chatter immediately fell silent.

The royal sisters were standing there…as if this was the most natural thing for them to do. It was true, they did sometimes leave their top-floor chambers and wander the castle, but…not usually as a pair. Princess Uomi was the one who had spoken first, and Princess Mikotsu peered in the door behind her, looking around the room with curiosity.

Uomi was usually the more outspoken and commanding of the two…though still very caring and humble for her station. Meanwhile, Mikotsu was usually in charge of social gatherings, decorations, and such affairs. She tended to be a bit childish sometimes, but she was actually very gracious and pleasant to be around. It wasn't necessarily shocking for them to visit, considering the witch family's station…but neither had really expected them to pop up just now.

Uomi was naturally the most disconcerting, due to her overly large, bulbous eyes, though the two witches had been around her long enough that it didn't even affect them. Tactless Memoca still tended to stare at her, though the other familiars respectfully tried not to let it distract them.

"Oh, Your Highnesses!" Lord Meikai swept over to greet them, so Wadanohara could finish up healing Sal. Tatsumiya naturally joined him, though Old hung back a little. "Aha, please excuse us. My daughter and I were just ending our little exercise for the day."

"We were watching," Princess Mikotsu added, slipping fully into the room beside her sister. She smirked, and spoke in a little sing-song voice. "It looked like fun!"

At last, the healing process was complete…but Sal didn't want to move from the floor. Any relief the magic had granted him from the crushing inner feelings had just burst. To know that the rulers of this entire sea had just witnessed his obliterating failure… It wasn't hard to imagine how much he wanted to just sink into the floor and disappear right now.

At least Wadanohara seemed to sense it, and even though she looked a little tired and drained from so much magic use, she reached out and took his hand, tugging his arm up as if to say "Stand up and face it. You need to stand up and face it. It's okay."

So, as much as he didn't want to, Sal hoisted his body upwards, dropping her hand, so as not to put any pressure on her. The worst…was the way Samekichi looked back at him. That subtle pity and hesitation behind his narrow blue eyes.

As the two of them made their way into the royal reception party, a sudden slosh in his stomach almost made him vomit. _Why…? Why did it have to happen like this?! _Somehow, even just looking at the princesses was making him feel more ill…so he shuffled himself into the back and tucked himself down at the table, out of sight. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice him.

Lord Meikai discussed the type of magic Wadanohara was currently working on, and how well she handled her familiars. Thankfully, the only time he mentioned the last battle was to praise her on her choice to focus on evasion at the start and offense second.

Apparently, Sheep had told the princesses that Wadanohara was here with her whole crew of familiars, and Princess Mikotsu was eager to come meet them. Uomi was kind of…chaperoning, though she admitted that she'd really wanted to come as well. Sal tried to stay out of the conversation as much as possible, though he had no choice but to say his greetings to Princess Mikotsu, since she'd never actually seen him before.

After a bit, Pulmo floated through the doorway, announcing that dinner was ready, and everyone was invited to join the royal banquet. It was amazing and exciting for most of the other familiars (whether they showed it or not), but Sal wished he could just shift forms and jet out the window.

They were joined by Uomi's two advisors, Pulmo and Helica, and Mikotsu's two advisors, Sheep and Stella. Sal strategically seated himself by Stella, since he knew the young starfish girl was especially quiet and shy. The visit was all turning into a whirl of color and noise…a phantasmagoria of voice and clatter and pressure.

_I'm not coming back_. No matter how he forced himself to glance up and chuckle at Memoca's jokes and Helica's stories, avoid Old's eyes, and vaguely nod to Wadanohara and Samekichi, trying to tell them he was okay, it felt like a part of him was being sucked into a black hole in the center of his chest. _No matter what they say. Even if I think I might be able to handle it. I can't. I'm never coming back here. _Funny, how no one else noticed. Not that he wanted them to, of course…

(-)

The trek back to Deepsea Town was mostly uneventful. Wadanohara continually apologized to the non-shark trio and promised that she'd use them next time, even though Fukami insisted that he didn't care, and Dolphi never wanted to familiar battle in the first place (especially against Old, even if she were teamed up with someone).

Sal practically dragged himself along the Sea of Stars, and Samekichi kept bumping into him. All the tension that had been crushing him inside had finally flown away…but now, he just felt all limp and wrung out. Wadanohara had gotten the impression that he was depressed or sulking over the whole ordeal, and kept attempting to cheer him up. Honestly, he _didn't_ feel that depressed about it…more than anything, he was relieved and a bit exhausted. It was like he didn't even have the energy left with which to _be _upset.

"It was pretty fun just watching you guys, actually." Memoca hopped up and down along the path, even as she looked back at the shark brothers. "It was awesome! Well, except for you, Sal. You sucked the big one."

"Memoca!" Wadanohara shot her a stern warning glare…as angry and threatening as she could make her innocent face appear. "Apologize! That was a terrible thing to say."

She just shrugged a little. "Ah, whatever. I'm sorry."

Dolphi tugged at her sleeve a little. "Mr. Sal is…pretty nice…for a shark." That was, apparently, her way of saying "hey, don't pick on him too much."

Fukami glanced back, but made no comment.

"Well, I thought you were excellent." Wadanohara smiled to him, an overly-cheery sort of expression. "You were so fast! It was amazing! And you were _really_ close to winning, I know it!"

"Nah." Sal just shook his head and returned a half-hearted smile. "She's kinda right. I sucked. But it's just…because of stupid things, probably, and I don't really care. I'll try harder next time." _There probably won't ever _be_ a next time. At least not in the palace. _

Unexpectedly, Samekichi strongly clapped him on the back, pushing him further forward. "Yeah, that's it. Just take it in stride. There were a lotta times I almost lost today, too. And I'm sure if I had, you would've never let me live it down."

"Heheh." Sal weakly laughed, mostly because he couldn't muster up a proper one. "Yeah, probably."

Before he could say another word, his brother grabbed him by the collar and started half-dragging him along the path. "C'mon, everyone, pick up the pace! Do you wanna get home before it gets pitch black out, or what?"

"O-Oh! Yes!" Wadanohara's eyes lit up, though she was a bit hesitant and puzzled when she strode ahead to keep up with him.

Memoca and Dolphi happily ran after, while Fukami just trailed behind, his eyes clearly reading "Why do I put up with these idiots?"

There wasn't a whole lot to do back at the house…everyone just fell into leisurely activities—Fukami started slowly cleaning, and Wadanohara bundled up the remaining flowers and the tiny petals that had fallen on the floor during their flower-arranging session. Sal sank into a couch, half-slumped, and Samekichi stretched out on the opposite one.

In any case, it had been an incredibly long day, full of immense ups and downs, and there was no reason the white shark shouldn't be thoroughly exhausted. But even so, Sal felt terribly over-exhausted…shivery, weak, limp, unable to even hold himself up. When Memoca came up behind him, tugged at his head-spike, and got no response, even she got the hint that he really wasn't feeling well, and scuttled off into the lounge with Dolphi.

_Maybe I'm coming down with a cold or something_, he thought. _Sea God knows, with all those fish flitting through the palace, there's bound to be all sorts of germs floating around in there._ It would be embarrassing, though, that he was weak enough to get sick after such a relatively small ordeal. It would only stand to prove that he _was_ a physically imperfect being.

"Hey." Samekichi chose that moment to toss his head back, catching his attention. Around the same time, Wadanohara returned from the upstairs bathroom, smiling and joining them in the couch area. "Really, you weren't too bad today. You'd be pretty good, if you weren't such a moron."

"Heh." It was a jokey sort of compliment…the only kind he ever felt comfortable giving out. By now, Sal was definitely used to it, but he was just so tired right now, he didn't feel like playing with him.

"Oh, Samekichi…" Wadanohara chimed in, waving dismissively at him. "You were both really amazing. I'm so lucky to have the two of you."

"…You're too sweet," Sal managed to tell her, shaking his head a little and grimacing. "I'm…exhausted."

"I think we're all really freakin' tired." Samekichi righted himself on the couch, making more room for Wadanohara, and he slumped forward a little as well. "First this morning, then this evening. Did not expect to really do any training today, but…eh, it happens."

Sal couldn't take it anymore. Listening to him going on like that… No. What did he know? Nothing. Exactly nothing.

Gently and quietly, he pulled himself up and onto his feet. The world seemed to shift a little and the inside of his head rocked for a second before he caught his bearings…though he still felt like he wanted to hit the floor. "I'm actually going to head right up to bed now, if you don't mind. I'm just beat."

"Oh, of course we don't mind," Samekichi quipped. "Good riddance."

But, looking into his eyes, Sal could tell he was pretty concerned. Over the years, he'd learned to read his expressions…to hear what went unsaid from him and interpret what he really meant.

"Sal? Are you sure you're alright?" Wadanohara earnestly vocalized her concern. "You're never in bed this early."

"Yeah," he lied, chuckling to try to lighten the mood. "I know, it's weird. But today really wiped me out. I probably used a little too much energy. But I'll be fine—I should be back to normal in the morning." On achy feet, he slowly began to walk away. "Goodnight, guys. I'll see everyone tomorrow."

"Night," Wadanohara kindly answered. "Get a good rest."

Samekichi only grunted, but Sal could still see the worry in the crinkles at his eyelids. He probably saw right through him. Oh well. Hopefully, he really would feel better tomorrow.

Sal dragged himself up the stairs to the empty communal bunk room. Thankfully, it was early enough that even Dolphi wasn't in bed yet, so he had the place to himself.

In this room, six little beds were lined up against the back wall, where everyone slept. Technically, Wadanohara had her own bedroom, but she actually preferred to sleep in here with everyone else. According to her, it was too "lonely" to sleep in there by herself…she was weird like that sometimes. The space was admittedly a little cramped, but there was at least enough personal room for everyone…and the beds were surprisingly comfy for their sterile, bland look.

The rest of the room itself was rather plain-looking—a few coat hangers, a mirror, a small desk, a table…all in the same dull bluish tone. Thus, it was painfully obvious to notice the changes. Sal saw the little bunches of hydrangeas on the table, first of all, and then…_that_.

With a little mouth-turn of disgust, he noticed the pictures tacked to the wall in the corner. Apparently, Wadanohara had already hung up their drawings from this afternoon…including his own stupid self-glorifying one.

It was repulsive to look at now. To know how _happy _it had made him…this _display_. Sharks don't do tricks. Sharks don't love to twist and twirl about in the water just to feel the waves between their fins. It wasn't something he should ever be _proud _of.

Though his vision wavered, and his legs trembled, he strode over to the wall and popped the drawing off, stuffing it away in a drawer. Good. Now he wouldn't have to look at it while he got into bed.

Sal's bed was the second from the left-hand wall, between Samekichi's and Fukami's. He clutched his forehead and slowly made his way over, removing his shoes and his jacket. Under normal circumstances, he might've changed into something a little more comfortable, but he was just too exhausted, so he'd have to make due in his grey turtleneck and darker grey slacks.

Immediately, his body felt relief when it sank into the mattress…finally free of the burden of holding itself upright. The only problem was that his mind was still churning with thoughts and feelings from throughout the day…he'd have to do something to calm himself down so he could actually fall asleep.

"Rrrgh…" Grudgingly, Sal shifted himself over towards the edge of the bed, and slowly, painfully, reached under it to pull out a book. He'd stashed a few volumes under here for this exact purpose, and mentally, he praised himself for thinking of it beforehand. Gingerly, he curled himself against the headboard, propping the book up against a mound of quilt.

_Ahhhh…okay. All set…_ Everything felt so much better already. For a while, Sal read in peaceful silence, letting the support and comfort wash over him…until he noticed himself beginning to nod off, and figured he'd better put the book away.

A small smile finally graced his lips again when he settled back down into his pillow. Everything should be just fine in the morning…nothing would even matter…he'd probably forget all about today's issues by tomorrow night. Everything…felt so good.

And thus, Sal finally closed his eyes…on the calm, serene world he'd always known...

(-)

_Another outburst…Another one… This was the third or fourth time it had happened… It was always horrible, and it shook him to the core. The noises, the sharp tone, the fear and heartache… He felt that pain, too. By all rights, it shouldn't affect _him_, but…it did. It definitely did. _

_A small, stubby young shark cruised along, scanning the area with angled white eyes. His brother was here somewhere, probably hiding…and he'd resolved himself to find him this time. To go after him…to try to talk to him. He wouldn't stand for this anymore. He wouldn't hang back and just watch him hurting himself anymore. _

_For a little shark his age, Samekichi was highly perceptive. He knew what was going on. He knew what it meant. And that was why he wouldn't allow himself to remain idle and obedient any longer. It wasn't fair. And somehow, he knew it. _

_It wasn't too long before he spotted a little curved patch of white sticking up amidst a bed of yellow and green seaweed. Sadly, due to his coloration, his brother wasn't all that good at camouflage. Samekichi could typically blend in with rocky chasms, but…what would ever hide a pure snow-white shark? _

_Carefully, he looped his small body down in the water…coming into a hover right next to the poking fin. "Salmon…?" _

_The seaweed seemed to shiver a little. At least he'd managed to cover his head, though Samekichi could see bits of his body when the water waved the long stalks back and forth. _

"_S-Salmon? It's alright. It's me, Samekichi." _

"_Go away." The soft, squeaky voice was surprisingly cold. Well, at least he wasn't going to continue pretending he wasn't there. "I hate you." _

_Samekichi gulped at the lump forming in the back of his throat. He had to admit that those words stung a little…but he didn't want to give up. There was…no reason for Salmon to be so angry with him. "I…just want to help. I…I hate it when this happens, you know. I want you to feel better." _

"_What do you care?" Salmon's voice was hard, but you could plainly hear the tears cracking it. "You're…perfect. There's nothing wrong with you. Daddy loves you. _Everyone_ loves you. You're a _real_ shark. I'm…nothing." _

"_Ah…" Samekichi had to really fight back his tears now. Hearing that…was just too terrible. He couldn't take it. "N-No. I'm not 'perfect'. And I really want to help you. I like you. I…don't think you're nothing." _

_Through the gaps in the plants, he saw his brother's snowy body shudder. "Y-You'd never understand! You heard him… I'm…a defect. I was never meant to be born. I was a…mistake! It's _you_ that matters—you're the only one that matters. I-I'm just…extra…waste! I hate you. I hate you!" _

_Salmon's strangled voice cried out between teary gasps, his body trembling and hurting. All of Samekichi's muscles tensed in sympathetic response. _

"_No." Determinedly, he lowered himself a little closer to his brother's hiding spot. No matter what, he was _not_ going to let this go on. "No, Salmon. Daddy's…Daddy's wrong." _

_Silence filled the ocean water between them. To say that…that was treason against his own father. It was frightening, sure…but Samekichi couldn't let his mistreatment get into his head like this. He didn't want Salmon to have to hate himself like this…and he didn't want it to drive a rift between them. _

"_Daddy doesn't like you, and I don't know why, but…it's not fair. You _are_ a real shark, no matter what he says. You're…my brother. I'm really glad you were born. This way, I…we won't ever be lonely. We'll always have a friend. I love you. It…it doesn't matter what color you are, or what shape you are. You could be purple with yellow polka dots for all I care. You're a shark to me. You've always been a real shark, just like me. I don't care what Daddy says." _

_The seaweed shuddered again, and sniffles and little sobs arose from inside. "You…really mean that…?" _

"_Of course so." A pause. Samekichi thought it best to stay quiet for now…waiting for Salmon to decide whether to trust him or not. It was agonizing. _

_After a solid minute, his small voice finally answered. "I-I'm sorry." _

"_I-It's okay." _

_At last, Salmon emerged fully, swimming out from between the seaweed and around to face Samekichi, though he still looked down in shame. He was a tiny little shark, slimmer and more hydrodynamic…and also stark white. Tears squeezed below his round blue eyes. Sweet little Salmon… _

_In truth, Samekichi was even a little envious of him. He was much faster and more flexible in the water…and other non-shark sea creatures tended to find him adorable and would accept him more easily. Though…they also tended to think he was a girl at first. _

_Tenderly, Samekichi nuzzled his snout to the side of his smaller one…the gesture felt soft and loving. _

_Salmon closed his eyes and returned it a little, teardrops smearing against Samekichi's little gills. "I don't hate you. I was lying. I'm sorry. I…I didn't like to think that you hated me like he does, Samekichi. I… You're my friend. I do…trust you." _

"_I'm so glad." Samekichi brushed a fin over his brother's back this time, fondly. "You'll always be my friend. I dunno what I can really do, but…I'll protect you, Salmon. I promise." _

_Salmon scowled, despite the loving gesture…it was an odd expression on his cute young face. "I don't like that." _

"_Huh?" A little shock went through Samekichi, worrying that he was going to reject his kindness all of a sudden, right now. _

"_Salmon," he clarified. "I don't like it when people call me Salmon. That's my name, but…I just don't like it. I've never liked it. I don't want you to call me that too." _

"_Hmm…you don't like your name?" Samekichi drifted a little to the side as he thought. "Then…maybe I could give you, like, a nickname…?" _

"_Yeah!" Salmon bobbed with excitement. "A nickname! I want a nickname!" _

"_Uhhhhhh…" Samekichi wracked his—admittedly not very creative—brain, trying to come up with something fitting. "Umm, White?" _

"_Eugh…" Salmon obviously didn't like that and began to slightly sink again. _

"_Mmmmm...Salmon…Salmon…" Samekichi swam in a tight little pacing circle. "Then…how about Sam?" _

"_Mm…" Salmon cocked his head a little, considering. "It's…alright, I guess." _

"_Salmon….Salmon…Salll-mon… Sal?" _

_Salmon blinked wide blue eyes at him. "Sal…?" He glanced around, a bit nervously. "Sal… Y-Yeah! That's good. Sal!" _

"_Sal!" Samekichi happily echoed, playfully bumping against him. "Yeah! Okay, then, Sal! I'll call you Sal from now on!" _

"Whoooo_!" Sal did a joyful little flip, and Samekichi laughed with delight. _

_Sal and Samekichi… No matter what Old tried to tell them, they were meant to be born together, as twins. And as they began to slowly make their way back home, swimming side-by-side…Samekichi could only hope that they could stay together like this…for the rest of time._


	2. Part 1 Chapter 2

First of all, I want to thank everyone who left a review. Wow, I'm so happy. I never expected chap 1 to get more than maybe two reviews, since Wadanohara is a such a small fandom. Ohmygosh, thank you all so much, even just for reading.

Unfortunately, chapter 3 might take a little longer, because I really need to organize and finalize events for the next 2-3 chapters, but I will be working on it! In the meantime, I'll probably post small doodles and ideas and things related to the story at azucrim-blog on Tumblr. Sadly, I can't put the link, but that's its url.

I feel like, with this story, I kind of struggle with perspective. I'm shifting back and forth between Sal and Wadanohara's POVs, and sometimes Samekichi's, and it's...a little weird. I'll have to pay attention to that.

The whole "threat" seems to have been brushed under the rug, but...it's going to come up again later, don't worry.

BEWARE OF CUTE. Also, a few parts might come off like shark-cest, but that isn't my intention. They love each other...more than just brothers, but not lovers.

...I want to make an OC out of that swordfish.

(-)

Chapter 2

"Rise and shiiiiiiiine! Rise and shine! Move your tail fin, salamander!"

"_Apfffff_!" Sal awoke the next morning to Memoca leaping onto his stomach, forcing air from his lungs. "Th-That's a new one…don't think I've ever been called an amphibian before."

"Well, we had to get you up somehow!" The bird-girl rolled back off him, one wing-sleeve flapping in his face. "C'mon, get up! Everyone's waiting downstairs, and Wadda has something important to talk about!"

"Ugh…" A bit awkwardly, Sal pulled himself up in bed, rubbing at his face. "O-Okay… I'll…be there in a moment." He yawned. "Sorry. Kinda groggy, still."

"Well, don't take too long with your morning beauty routine or whatever! We wanna get this show on the road!"

"Sure…" Sal shook himself and tried to pat his spiky bed-head down. This was…really disorienting. To have been awakened so roughly, and so late…

A quick glance around revealed that the rest of the beds were indeed empty. Sal was never usually such a late sleeper…in fact, Memoca herself was usually the last out of bed. _Wow…I must have _really_ been exhausted. _It felt weird, and his head kind of hurt. Part of him just wanted to crawl back under the covers, so he wouldn't have to face Samekichi and Wadanohara's questioning. But they were all waiting for him, and he couldn't keep them waiting. Saying he didn't feel up to it would only raise more concern.

"Meet you down there!" Memoca called in a loud, deliberate voice, as she raced back down the stairs. Needless to say, all her shouting wasn't doing anything to ease his budding headache.

"Urggh…" Sal pulled himself up out of bed, adjusting his turtleneck. He stood and stretched, socks pressing to the cool floor…and immediately, he knew something was wrong.

A really, really odd burning sensation flared up on his legs…specifically on the side of each thigh. A pained scowl twisted his lips. _What in the world…? _Why on the planet would he be hurting there? If his memory served, he hadn't even gotten hit there yesterday. By all rights, his chest and the front of his body should be hurting, not the sides. He knew that sometimes healing magic could leave a tingling sensation, but…this was definitely too strong to just be the lingering effects of a spell.

Though crackling pain seeped into them, Sal forced himself to walk forward, quickly slipping around the corner and into the second-floor bathroom. Curiously, he kept his pants off once he was done, and bent over a little to scratch at the areas and get a better look at them.

As soon as his hands made contact with that skin, he knew something was odd. _What…? _Slightly panicked, he twisted around and raised one leg to look at it properly. _What…?! Why do I…? Huh?! _

On either side, in exactly the same spot of each thigh…was a little bump. They were pink and swelling against his pale skin—like a pair of matching mosquito bites. Experimentally, Sal softly pressed on the left one with a finger. It was solid underneath—not a blister then—and it ached a bit when he pressed in, like some kind of bruise. At least the irritating burning was beginning to fade now, though he couldn't figure out why.

_This is…really weird. Did I have some kind of allergic reaction to something? It can't be these pants—I've been wearing these for a while now. Maybe it's because I wore them to bed? I don't know why that should make a difference. If I was lying on something, maybe, but…then it should only be on one side. _

He shook himself and carefully began to slip his pants back on, shifting himself around and being extra careful not to rub the fabric against the irritated areas. There wasn't any time to thoroughly examine himself—he had to get ready and meet the others. Hopefully, he could just ignore any pain it caused him.

_It's probably just an irritation from some dirty seawater, _Sal began to convince himself while he combed his hair out and slipped on his jacket. _Or…some sort of hives I got from being so anxious yesterday. Yeah, that's probably it. They should go away eventually, as long as I don't scratch them._ He and Samekichi both had exceptionally sharp fingernails too, so he'd have to be very cautious.

The pain continued dull throbbing as he combed out his hair, brushed his pointed teeth and generally prepared himself. He decided that he could deal with it until the end of the day…it was going to be incredibly irritating, but he could definitely do it. There was definitely no need to tell them about it and worry them even more—Wadanohara was probably worried enough about him as it was.

On his way downstairs, Sal glanced up at a helm-shaped clock. It was already past noon. _Oh, God of the Sea. How am I going to explain this? _He decided he'd have to play up how good he felt now, as if the extra-long rest had completely cured him.

Indeed, everyone was gathered around the center table when he finally descended, and they all swiveled their heads, giving him various expressions of confusion and annoyance. For some reason, Fukami's eyes were especially cold…his glaring gaze seemed to say "how dare you", and it was making him a bit nervous.

One look at Wadanohara, and he understood. "Oh, Sal. Thank goodness. Are you feeling alright?"

Sal forced a laugh. "I'd be perfectly fine if it weren't for the seagull that attacked me in my sleep. It'll take a little while before my stomach recovers."

Wadanohara glanced back around. "Memoca…!"

"Hey, I got him up, didn't I?" The gull girl shrugged. "Samekichi probably would've bit him or something."

Speaking of Samekichi, the grey shark was fixated on Sal with a slightly suspicious expression, and it was making him feel guilty.

"Eheheheh…" He slipped down the staircase and over to an open spot on the further couch, next to the disgruntled Fukami. "Really, I feel great now, though. I guess I needed a ton of sleep, but I'm all rested now!"

"Have some breakfast," Wadanohara told him. "Or lunch or something. There should be leftover waffles in the fridge. We have something important to talk about, though."

"Okay, thank you." Sal rushed to dish out a waffle, warm it up, and top it with a strawberry and cream. All the while, he could practically feel Samekichi's eyes goring through his back. _I'm sorry, Samekichi_, he couldn't help thinking, and wishing he could just read his thoughts. _I want to tell you everything, but I just…don't want to cause you any more anguish or embarrassment._

When he sat down again with his plate of brunch, Wadanohara took a deep breath and prepared to make some sort of announcement. "You haven't heard, Sal, but, early this morning, I took a quick trip to Sea God Palace."

He halted in his very first bite of waffle, stunned. _The palace?! Why in the world would she have to go back to the palace so soon?! It…it better not have anything to do with yesterday. But there's no way I would be kicked out of being her familiar for not being "good enough" or anything. That's what the tests were for. But, but…! _

Samekichi caught his gaze with softer eyes, trying to reassure him.

"Helica came to get me almost as soon as I was awake, with a summons that the princesses wanted to see me immediately."

"Yeah, she nearly broke the door down!" Memoca added, flapping her arms a little. "She was probably in a big rush or something. Yet even that didn't wake salad face up."

Wadanohara continued straight through, not letting the bird girl distract her. "There wasn't enough time, so I only took Samekichi with me, and only he and I know what went on. So here's the thing…" She folded her hands over in her lap, a little nervous "I don't have all of the details myself, but they want us to undertake a special mission."

"A…special mission?" Fukami looked interested now, leaning forward a bit more. A special mission at the request of the princesses? That sounded incredibly important. No wonder she wanted everyone to be here.

Wadanohara nodded, the ribbon on her hat shifting a little. "Yes. We're leaving in a few minutes. We have been tasked with investigating the western surface area. Apparently, they've been getting reports of strange activity near there…fish feeling sick, getting lost, and…even a few deaths." Her eyes shifted down and to the side, solemnly. "They need us to look around and see if we can figure out what's going on…they need me in particular to use some magic and check to make sure it isn't due to any sort of spell."

Samekichi crossed his arms and looked to her with irritation. "The one thing I don't understand is—why couldn't they just get your father and my dad and Tatsumiya to do it?"

"He said it would be very good practice for me." Wadanohara gave a sheepish little smile. "Don't worry—Princess Uomi says she believes there's no direct threat to us. Whatever it is, it's only been affecting small, non-magical citizens in other towns, and only near the surface. But…Dad's going to be on standby just in case something does happen."

With a reassuring smile, she looked to the shark twins, and Sal stared back up at her, quickly wiping cream from his face. "In an emergency, we'd send Sal back to the palace to get them, since he could get there the fastest. And…I'd trust you all to protect me in the meantime."

Samekichi groaned. "Great. Dangerous mission that could be entirely avoided, here we come."

"It's not dangerous," Wadanohara argued. "And…I want the practice, really. I want to be of some help to this sea. Come on, everyone."

"It sounds frikkin' _exciting_!" Memoca enthused. "Count me in!"

"I…don't know…" Dolphi hadn't spoken yet, but when she did, everyone fell silent and listened. Her hands clutched together from under her shirt cuffs. "But…if everyone is together…I…won't be scared." Fukami looked to her and granted her a tiny, soft smile…and she grinned back.

"Yes." Fukami finally agreed. "If this is what we must do, let us depart as soon as possible."

Samekichi grumbled. "So hurry the hell up," he added, glaring over at Sal.

"Mmm trrrring!" He cried, stuffing a huge mass of waffle in his mouth.

"My goodness, don't choke!" Wadanohara interrupted. "It's not _that_ big of a deal!"

"Yssssss it immmss!"

Nevertheless, Sal quickly shoveled away the rest of his brunch while Wadanohara went to grab a couple little things from her room upstairs, like a few spell ingredients, and her broom, for emergency purposes. The familiars didn't have much to bring, themselves—Fukami had a couple books stashed away on the boat and Dolphi some doodling supplies, and that was really all they needed to entertain themselves during an extended voyage.

Sal washed off his plate just in time, as Wadanohara came to the doorway and announced it was time to go. He ran to his brother's side…and immediately wished he hadn't. Pain flared on his legs again, and he just barely managed to contain a wince. _I really hope I don't have to fight… Only if I really have to. If Wadanohara's in danger or something. Even then, I probably won't be of much use. Like she said, the best thing I could do would be to swim off to get help. I'm…not sure how I feel about that. _

On the way, they stopped to let a few townsfolk know they were leaving for a while. Tarako was particularly distressed and wanted to give everyone kisses goodbye, but Samekichi smacked it against a wall before it even got close.

"Peace out—we'll be back soon!" Memoca called, before they all ducked out of there.

The path towards the surface gate was always so beautiful…the ocean sparkled and shimmered under their feet, and they walked on a trail of stardust through the water. Wadanohara was particularly pleased by the sight, and any unsettled feelings inside her were comforted by this atmosphere. Samekichi seemed unaffected, but to those that knew him well—Sal and Wadanohara—he was greatly enjoying it too. For a little while, Sal even managed to forget about the weirdness with his legs.

At the ringed area of the gate, a giant swordfish was waiting for them—a guard and helper appointed by the princesses. "Hello, Swordfish," Wadanohara greeted him…no one knew his name, if he even had one.

"Ah! It's Wadanohara and crew!" He smiled under his long, thin snout. "Pulmo informed me that you would all be travelling today. Are you out on royal business?" He shook his shiny body side-to-side. "No, no, that's none of my concern. Just…have a safe voyage, and come back soon, alright?"

"Yes, we will."

"Joining me for the transferal today, Sal?"

"Eh…!" Sal snapped out of a light daze at the swordfish's request. _Oh, dammit. I forgot about this. _When the whole group went out together like this, the swordfish couldn't carry everyone to the surface, so Sal usually morphed and took the rest. He wasn't as strong as Samekichi, sure, but he could keep up with the guard's pace better. But right now…

"I'm…sorry. I'm still kinda too tired to do it…hahaha. And I just ate and stuff…"

"We had to practically drag him out the door this morning," Memoca exaggerated.

Samekichi gave him a sideways glance. "I thought you said you were totally fine now."

"I am." Swiftly, he thought to use the teasing approach. "I just want to see _you_ do it. Why should I always have to do the transportation, hmm?"

"I thought you _liked_ doing it."

"I do, I do, just—you gotta share the wealth sometimes." Casually, Sal slapped his brother on the back, trying to get him to lay off it. "Now, go on. Your turn!"

"Oh!" Thankfully, Mr. Swordfish agreed. "That _would_ be interesting. I've never swum with Samekichi before. Let's try it!"

Wadanohara giggled a little. "It's good to switch things up sometimes."

"Rrrrgh, alright, okay." Knowing he couldn't waste any more time, Samekichi stepped into the center of the circular area, transforming into his much larger shark body.

Carefully, Wadanohara reached out to him from the edge, and he glided over, meeting her hand with his snout. "I'll ride with you, then," she decided, granting him a reassuring smile.

It took a bit of maneuvering, but she climbed up onto his back. Naturally, Dolphi wanted to go with the swordfish, and so Memoca joined her.

"Wait! Me too, me too!" Before he could pull away, Sal expertly launched himself up and onto Samekichi's back, using his fin as a handhold and pulling himself up next to Wadanohara. It actually hurt quite a bit…but the reaction was definitely worth it. Wadanohara glanced back at him, suppressing a little giggle, and Samekichi shuddered underneath. He grinned a sharp, toothy grin.

"Goddam it, Sal, why?"

"Because I looooooove you." Sal rubbed the smooth gray back under him with both hands, and finally, Wadanohara couldn't contain her laugh anymore.

Samekichi groaned, though he began to drift towards the center again and prepare for liftoff. "I reserve the right to kick you off at any time, so you'd better behave."

"Yes, mother."

Meanwhile, Fukami decided he wanted no part in _that_, and joined the girls by wrapping a few tentacles around the swordfish's fins.

"Aha, well, looks like we're all set, right?" Mr. Swordfish was a little confused by the arrangement, but eager to get going all the same. "When you're ready, Samekichi. To the surface!"

It took quite a while for the two of them to swim all the way upwards. Softly, step by step, the sea lightened the closer and closer they got to the light of the sun. Sparkles fell away, replaced by slanted beams of sunlight. As expected, Samekichi fell a bit behind, and from further ahead on the swordfish's back, Memoca turned and stuck her tongue out at him. Feeling a bit guilty, Sal tried to help by pumping his tail along with him…but he quickly discovered how ineffective it was and how ridiculous it looked, so he gave up.

At last, the familiar trio and Mr. Swordfish broke through the water and began to unload onto the ringed platform of the Surface Gate. A few minutes later, Samekichi finally surfaced beside him.

"There we are!" The swordfish cheerily announced, while Wadanohara and Sal slipped off the shark, and he morphed back onto the platform next to them. "It's a beautiful day on the Surface! Please, enjoy your trip, and come back safe and sound."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Swordfish," Wadanohara told him, giving him a short curtsy, before he ducked back underwater.

Samekichi still complained a bit, but everyone mostly ignored him as they made their way down the long dock and to their boat. A pair of crab guardians called greetings as they passed, and everyone vaguely returned their claw-waves.

Wadanohara's ocean voyager wasn't terribly big…but it was still comfy enough for all six of them not to feel suffocated. There was one large, main room in the center, with the lower deck mainly used for storage. It was certainly not designed for living for extended periods of time, but, as a weekend getaway…not too bad. Unfortunately, they weren't here now for a vacation.

Casually, everyone checked out the boat first, making sure everything was in order. Fukami especially scrutinized the bookshelves, and Samekichi checked their meat supply in cold storage. Once everyone was satisfied, Wadanohara took the wheel and gently pulled the boat out of the dock, slowly guiding it out to sea.

Looking at the small girl, you'd be surprised to see her at the helm of a ship…but Wadanohara was a very talented and experienced sea captain. She'd even ridden through storms and rocky areas before without even a scratch, though she'd definitely had help from various familiars during those times. The western sector of the Great Blue Sea…it would take a little while to get there, but they should definitely be there before sunset.

After a while, everyone fell into peaceful activities. Memoca was fluttering about the boat, occasionally playing games with Dolphi, who mostly stayed inside and did little arts and crafts projects. Samekichi remained exactly at Wadanohara's side, once in a while scanning the water for anything that looked out of the ordinary. A few times, he even used the onboard spyglass.

At the back of the boat, Fukami and Sal stood in silent serenity, just enjoying the ocean view. Fukami stood a little further back, though Sal was pressed right up against the railing, leaning himself forward to feel the soft sea breeze on his face.

It was so amazingly relaxing, and he could almost feel his worries drifting away, lulled on the gently rocking waves. Everything was so beautiful here…the warm light blanketing the waters, the fresh, salt smell of the sea, the quiet lapping sounds against the hull… Sal closed his eyes and leaned into it a little more, feeling the kisses of sprayed-up droplets on his cheeks and smiling, secretly. He just wished he could stay here forever…soothed by the gentle cradle of their beloved ocean.

When he finally lifted his eyelids again, a blue-white mass in the corner of his eye told him he wasn't alone. Fukami was standing right next to him now, his long, flopping sleeves poised on the railing as well. Looking into his cloudy, grayish eyes, Sal could clearly read his intent. "I was _so_ tempted to just give you a big shove."

Knowingly, Sal fixed him with a return gaze of his own, frowning sarcastically and conveying his own silent message: "Don't you dare think about pushing me off."

The relationship between Sal and Fukami was…odd to say the least. But the two had a sort of unspoken comradery whenever they were alone together. Sal could tell that the tall octopus had a crush on Wadanohara. It was obvious in the way he treated his brother, in the furtive looks he gave her, in his protectiveness of her. And there was some sort of kinship of unrequited love between them.

To be honest, Sal really liked Wadanohara as well, and if not for Samekichi, he would have pursued her too. But, unlike Fukami, he knew when he didn't have a chance and when he should just move on and heal. He loved his brother and valued their relationship more than anything else—it wasn't worth tearing that apart. And…as long as Wadanohara still cared for him as a friend…that would be good enough.

Fukami, on the other hand, was a bit fixated on her…though he never spoke of it, naturally. Some days, Sal wished he could actually talk to him…maybe he could help him through this, since he'd been through something so similar. But for now, they only communicated in stares and silent thoughts and knowing expressions.

Slowly, Sal breathed in the open air, letting it fill him with hope, and gazed back out over the sea. Fukami stayed by his side, his robe and his sleeves lightly billowing. Even if they never said a word…it was nice to have company…to know that they weren't alone.

Shuffling a bit, Sal removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves to feel the breeze on his skin. Fukami glanced over at him, with a look that said "you're really weird", but he just smiled in return.

"Aaaaah! Salsal! Fukamin!" Not long after, Memoca's call broke through their peaceful companionship. She came flapping and bouncing up behind them, the cap on her head nearly falling off. "Dolphi and I are going to play that board game again! You guys should join us, so we have four players and everything!"

Fukami gave a sigh, but Sal chuckled and threw his jacket over his shoulder. "Alright, I guess. But just one round. C'mon, tentacle man."

Fukami scowled at that, but followed along when Memoca yanked at the end of his robe, whining "pleeeeeease".

So, for a while, the four played a board game on the table in the cabin, while Wadanohara and Samekichi chatted. Fortunately, they were just putting away the pieces after being utterly decimated by Dolphi, when Samekichi stepped in to announce that they were docking for a little while.

Wadanohara had decided to quickly check the Lonely Isle on the way. Nothing much was going on there, though…it was silent and calm, as well it should be, being a literal graveyard. No one said much of anything while they traveled up towards the peak.

Wadanohara performed a few detection spells, but nothing came up. It wasn't long before they'd decided that nothing was out of the ordinary here, and simply moved on.

During the ensuing trip between Lonely Isle and the westernmost island, Star Isle, the familiars occasionally took turns practicing attacks on drifting life preservers and other various items floating through the sea. It was good exercise and also helped clean the ocean at the same time. The voyage was _truly _underway. As they neared Star Isle, Samekichi ordered everyone to be on the lookout for strange goings-on. Fukami took point at the stern, while Dolphi and Sal positioned themselves on either side. Although she couldn't actually fly, Memoca managed to climb up to the very top of the boat and roost there on lookout.

Nothing. The sea looked perfectly clear and calm and healthy. The strangest thing they'd run into was an odd-looking red bird with a round bump on its head and soulless white eyes lying out on one of the life preservers.

A plan hatched itself in Sal's brain after several minutes of this observation strategy had passed. Determinedly, he left his post and approached Wadanohara and Samekichi at the bow. "Heeeey," he casually spoke up, though Samekichi gave him a glare. "Nothing much is going on, so…I was thinking maybe I could scout around?"

Wadanohara looked up at him, briefly leaving the ship to cruise on its own. Her eyes were soft and questioning. "We…don't know what's out there, though," she reasoned. "If you run into any kind of trouble, we might not be there to help…"

"And I thought you were still tired." Samekichi crossed his arms, the fins on the edges of his cuffs poking out between them.

"Ah, it'll be fine—I'm not worried." Sal smiled widely, and his tail was practically wagging with excitement. "I won't be away for too long. And I'm not too tired." Teasingly, he grinned towards his brother. "I'm only too tired when it's convenient for me to be too tired."

Samekichi groaned. "…You just want to go for a swim, don't you?"

"Mmmmmaybe…" Sal's voice took on the little singsong lilt he sometimes acquired, and he clutched his turtleneck collar, acting especially cutesy. "Soooooo, can I go scout around?"

Wadanohara giggled. "Well, I suppose so."

"_Yesss_!" He made a show of hopping up and pumping his fist in victory.

"Just come back very soon, alright? And…let us know if you sense anything unusual…any little thing. Got it?"

"Aye, Captain!" Sal saluted her, beaming brightly, and immediately sprinted for the ship's front railing. "_Whoooo_!"

Samekichi and Wadanohara watched as he threw himself into a dive right over the edge, splashing down into the water below. Samekichi could only shake his head, and Wadanohara knowingly chuckled behind her smile.

As soon as his whole body thrust under the water, Sal morphed into his shark form, shaking himself a little and re-orienting himself to the different perspective and body movements. Aaaah…it felt so nice. For a few moments, he just twisted himself in and out through the water, delighting in the feeling of it gliding over him and through him. Honestly, he _had _really wanted to swim…swimming around was his absolute favorite thing to do, and it put his heart at ease. However…there was _another _reason he had desperately wanted to change into a shark right now.

Uncertainty gnawed at the pits of his stomach when he thought of it again. He'd thought of it earlier when he'd refused Mr. Swordfish's invitation…but he had to be sure, in case that sort of situation arose again.

Taking in a deep filter of oxygen through his gills, Sal slowly twisted himself around, curling his tail in as close to his face as he could possibly get it. A cold little stream trickled through him. _Yes. Of course. I was right. At least I know for sure…_

Those weird little bumps were present in this form as well…swollen pinkish dots on either side, near the base of his tail. They still hurt, naturally, since water was pressing against them, though it was more of the constant ache he was starting to get used to.

Sal's legs had been hurting throughout the day, though it was only unbearable when something hit at either spot with force. Part of him wasn't concerned, though the other part was anxious under the surface. What if it _didn't_ get better? What if it _wasn't_ just hives or allergies?

With a little shudder through his fishy body, Sal flipped back around and pushed off further into the ocean. All he knew for sure was that he wasn't going to drag his loved ones into this. It wasn't important enough to cause them grief over. Opening his blue eyes wide, he focused intently on the ocean, jetting and glancing past confused fish and various other innocent sea creatures. _I want to make them happy,_ he thought. _I don't want them to have to be ashamed of me._

And so, repeating those feeling over like a mantra, Sal zipped through the clear blue ocean, scanning for anything unusual to report. No matter what, he wasn't going to let it bother him. Some things…were more important than his own health.

(-)

So far, this definitely didn't feel like a royal-appointed mission at all. It just felt like a spontaneous vacation, and Wadanohara had to keep reminding herself of how serious this really was. Nothing was turning up, and it was starting to get a bit monotonous. Still…if some malicious magical force really _was _out there, everyone had to be on alert.

She really hadn't wanted Sal to go off on his own, but he seemed desperate and stir-crazy. She could have asked Samekichi to accompany him, but… At the same time, she didn't want to turn this into more than it needed to be. If there really was no danger here…

Beside her, Samekichi was gently waving his gray shark tail and staring out to sea. "Are you sure this isn't just Princess Mikotsu pulling some sort of prank on you?"

Wadanohara gave a nervous chuckle. "No, no. She wouldn't go this far. And Princess Uomi would never agree to going this far." She stepped closer to the boat railing as they glided along on a straight set course to the west. Her eyes swept over the glassy little waves, looking for any sign of a white shark-dolphin. "I just hope, when we do find something, we're ready for it. And…we're able to actually identify it."

"True." Samekichi looked a little grim.

Knowing him, he was probably worried they'd run into something and he wouldn't be able to properly protect her from it…if it came up too suddenly or under his radar. It was really sweet of him, but at the same time, Wadanohara didn't want him worrying about defending her all of the time. Though she certainly liked having him to rely on, she did have her own magic if she desperately needed to protect herself.

They exchanged a few more words, speculating about the supposed danger and what form it might take and where they might encounter it…before a clattering off to the right side announced Sal's return.

He was in humanoid form again…he'd probably morphed while still in the water and climbed up the emergency ladder. He only shrugged off his little ocean romp and said he'd found absolutely nothing. Samekichi teased him a bit about his enthusiasm for swimming compared to his laziness earlier, but the banter didn't last too long, fortunately.

Sal had been acting a little odd lately, but Wadanohara decided not to bother him about it, especially because of everything he'd been through yesterday. Part of her even felt a little guilty—if she'd known the princesses were watching, she might not have agreed to let him battle. But nothing could be done about it, and they'd just have to figure it out from here.

He seemed perfectly normal at times, but kind of…off at other times. Like when he'd refused to swim with Mr. Swordfish. Normally, Sal would never pass up an opportunity to do the transportation and surreptitiously race with him. And she wasn't buying that he'd just been "too tired". Her hypothesis was that he still felt bad about himself…so hopefully, if he was happy, it would gradually wear away.

Wadanohara decided they would stop off at Star Isle when they got close, though the sun was beginning to hang low in the sky, dying the world around them a soft rose-orange. She searched high and low with her detection spell, to no avail. Nothing was even slightly awry on this island, even near the enormous curved branches of the Star Fruit Tree.

They even ran into Nekoyama, the mail seagull, and Wadanohara carefully asked him if he'd seen anything in his travels. The gist of his garbled words was that he'd never even heard of such incidents before, if they could trust his memory at all.

In the back of Wadanohara's mind, even she was starting to doubt the severity of this task. This was mostly training for her, she had to remind herself. So even if there was no actual danger, she needed to act as if there were.

By the time they departed from Star Isle, fuzzy gray darkness was beginning to descend over the boat, and Wadanohara dropped the anchor for the night. It would be much more difficult to look around at night, though she'd probably come out and use the spyglass once in a while.

Everyone gathered in the main cabin for dinner, barely fitting around the table, and mostly griping about the lack of activity. Memoca bragged about a few moves she'd pulled while battering a life preserver, and Dolphi said she'd seen a shark, though it turned out she'd only seen Sal's fin when he'd been out "scouting around".

When they broke up, and Fukami pulled out a book to read on one of the beds, and Dolphi produced a box of crayons from seemingly thin air, Wadanohara got an idea. She'd always planned on doing this, but…right now was the moment. The golden opportunity.

With a slight rustle, she reached into her nightstand drawer…and withdrew a smooth, porcelain ocarina. Fukami glanced over at her as she made her way to the center of the wooden floor with it…and when she pressed it to her lips, she had Samekichi's rapt attention. Her music was like irresistible sweet honey…and she was naturally talented with just about any musical instrument, not just piano and ocarina.

Both instruments were very near and dear to her heart. Wadanohara's father had taught her to play the piano from a very young age, and some of her most cherished memories were of sitting at the piano bench with him, reveling in the sounds and the wonderful feeling of being loved. And the ocarina was so special to her…because it had been a present from her shark twins.

Not long after the three of them had settled into the Deepsea Town house together, they'd presented her with this gorgeous potato-shape ocarina, as a show of gratitude. At the time, they'd squabbled over it, each trying to take sole credit…but the truth was, they were equally responsible. It had initially been Sal's idea, but Samekichi had been the one to actually place the order for it with Nekoyama and pick it up when it arrived. Whenever she played it…it reminded her of the two of them and those first few months starting out. Though she loved Dolphi, Fukami, and Memoca, and was eternally grateful to have them in her life, those old times had been wonderful, and sometimes, she felt a little nostalgia for them…

Wadanohara gently blew, producing sweet notes from the oblong object…stringing them together into a song from her childhood. All of the familiars paused and took notice when the performance began. Even Memoca lowered her voice to better listen to the witch's relaxing melody. Samekichi closed his eyes and smiled, from his spot at the table. All at once, his muscles seemed to relax, and he was thoroughly content, listening to the music of his beloved. Fukami set down his book and fixated his eyes on the movements of her delicate fingers over the wind holes. A soft, smooth noise began…and gradually swelled, until it was level with the ocarina's notes. Sal.

From the opposite side of the table, Sal was beginning to sing along, supplying the words to the undersea classic.

Wadanohara smiled at the edges of her lips. She'd hoped this would happen, actually. Though he didn't show it often, especially in front of a crowd, Sal really liked to sing…and he was pretty good at it, too. He wasn't _spectacular_, and he wouldn't win any sort of award for it…but his voice was smooth and flowing, trilling and pleasant. Even Samekichi had to admit that it sounded nice. He needed to sing now, Wadanohara thought—it was something he could do that others would admire.

Once the song drifted to an end, they began to request even more songs. "Could you play that stupid one?" Memoca asked…and Wadanohara answered "of course", launching into a quicker, wavering tune.

Memoca and Sal chimed in with the accompanying childish lyrics, laughing at each other between each chorus, and Dolphi started to clap along.

Samekichi requested a few more songs, ones that didn't have lyrics, and so Sal only hummed a bit during those. Two more silly songs from Memoca and Dolphi, and finally, after, Sal voiced his own thoughts.

"Oh!" He decided, excitedly standing up in his seat. Dolphi and Memoca were still giggling and making poses and hand motions to the previous tune. "Could you play that fast one? That one you do on the piano that I really like?"

"Umm…" Wadanohara cradled the ocarina in her hands a moment, considering. "I'm not sure. I could _try_. It might not be as distinct as on the piano, and I might slip up here and there, because it's so fast…"

"Oh, that's fine, that's fine—it doesn't have to be perfect."

Samekichi gave him a half-teasing glare, conveying "Stop giving her so much work", but he only chuckled it off.

Wadanohara was truly excited to take his request, no matter what it was. Mentally, she prepped herself…sucked in a deep breath…and began.

Sal broke into a wide smile the moment it started, and Samekichi shook his head at him. The tune was a little bit slower than usual…Wadanohara's fingers couldn't shift into position on the ocarina as quickly and easily as they could skip across the ivory keys…but it was still lively and jumpy as ever.

Almost subconsciously, Sal began to dance along, hopping against the wooden floor in a spontaneous, untrained tap-dance. He threw in some twists and whirls across the room, circling the space around Wadanohara, and she had to force herself to stay focused on the song or else she would've burst into laughter. Sal danced the same way he swam—with pure merriment and complete reckless abandon. It was wonderful to see, if not thoroughly ridiculous.

Memoca snorted and wasted no time in letting him know how stupid he looked. Yet at the same time, she was shifting up out of her chair, her feathery little tail twitching with excitement. A few seconds later, and both she and Dolphi had joined him, bopping and flapping and pattering along to the clipping rhythm.

Wadanohara was overjoyed to see her familiars having so much fun with her music, so she zeroed in on her hands and her breath, pooling all her efforts into keeping it going steady.

The two girls and the shark laughed to each other, sometimes joining hands or dancing towards each other. Even Dolphi got caught up in the moment and shook her tail together with Sal's, beaming to him as if she'd completely forgotten that he wasn't also a dolphin.

Eventually, the requested song came to an end…but Wadanohara immediately started in on another upbeat dance tune, just to keep them out on the floor with her. Dolphi and Memoca clapped their hands together and twirled each other around to the beat, having the time of their lives.

With a natural flair, Sal spun himself over towards Samekichi, and bent uncomfortably close to him, a goofy grin on his face. "Samekiiichiiiiii…"

"No." His answer to the unspoken question was immediate. He didn't even need words—he knew what his brother was thinking.

"Aw, _c'mon_…" Sal smiled to him, warm and joyful, and gripped onto his arms, dragging them up by the wrists. "Join us, Samekichi!"

"Ehh, but…" The gray shark-boy began to protest, but his resolve was clearly breaking down. He really wanted to, but he was incredibly shy, and his cheeks were already starting to flush with embarrassment. Wadanohara's heart fluttered thinking about how cute he looked right now.

"Don't be scared—c'mon!" Sal urged, laughing and tugging at his arms. "You know you want tooooo…"

"I don't want to do _anything_, if you're involved." Yet a little grin cracked onto Samekichi's face, and he relinquished himself to his brother's insistent tug.

Sal broke into giggles, practically pulling him to his feet and dragging him out onto the dance floor.

Wadanohara tried not to stare, but she couldn't help sneaking peeks here and there. This was just so amazingly wonderful and more than she'd even hoped for.

It took a little while for Samekichi to get warmed up and feel comfortable moving this way in front of other people, but Sal was dancing beside him, gradually coaxing him along. A few times, they even slapped tails, bumped backs, and generally coordinated moves together.

Once he'd limbered up and stopped blushing like mad, Samekichi was actually pretty good at dancing, himself…probably because he was so in tune with the rhythm. When they performed the same move together, you could see how Samekichi snapped straight and true to the music, while Sal was a bit more sloppy and erratic. It was still so heartwarming to see them dance together, though, since they were both so unbelievably happy…though Samekichi definitely didn't show it as much.

When she noticed it was appropriate, Memoca leaped against Samekichi's back, and he nearly fell over. She and Sal laughed, and they started to dance around him, incorporating him into the group as a whole. It lasted for almost another whole song. Until Samekichi got a little too excited and hip-checked Sal a bit too hard.

With a yelp, he toppled to the floor, and Samekichi was instantly rigid and grave, sweeping down to his side to make sure he was okay. "Oh, geez, Sal. Are you alright?"

Memoca and Dolphi didn't even notice until Wadanohara took note herself and her music stopped. "W-What? What's going on?" Memoca glanced around, Dolphi's hands still clutched in her wings.

"I-I'm fine…" Sal struggled back up onto his knees, though he was cringing in pain and clutching at his left thigh. "Just a…bruise, probably. I'm out, though."

A frown creased Samekichi's face, and he extended his arms to help him back up. Sal carefully rose to his feet again, pushing off from his brother's arm, though he still looked bent over a little. Carefully, he seated himself back at the table, trying to bite back pain, and Samekichi took a seat near him, probably feeling guilty over the incident.

Wadanohara played one more song for the persistent Memoca and Dolphi, though after that, the party kind of died away. The mood had been interrupted, and Wadanohara herself wanted to put the ocarina away and make sure Sal wasn't too injured. Out of the corner of her eye, she'd noticed him rubbing at that one spot on his thigh a lot. Like he'd said, he was probably going to bruise there…but it should have stopped hurting by _now_.

"Um…do you need an ice pack or anything, Sal?" It was the first thing Wadanohara said once she'd stashed away the instrument and came to the side of the table.

"No, no," he tried to dismiss her. "I'm fine, really. It's not hurting as much now—it'll probably go away soon."

Again, she wasn't entirely convinced. Sal was good at acting—he was probably covering up how much it really hurt him. "Why don't you let me heal it?" she offered, slightly extending a hand towards him. "I could…"

"N-No!" He cried, a little too quickly, one hand popping up to stop her. "Don't waste your magic! Seriously. It's not worth it." He chuckled, a bit forcedly. "You should make Samekichi heal me. It's all his fault, after all."

"Shut your mouth," Samekichi grumbled, though the light flush on his cheeks betrayed him. He really did feel bad about it. "You're the one who made me dance in the first place." The wistful gaze he directed down at the table seemed to say "If I _could_ heal you, I definitely would."

For the rest of the night, Wadanohara joined them at the table. Memoca got bored and went to bother Fukami, interrupting his peaceful reading time. Samekichi listlessly flipped through an illustrated encyclopedia, keeping himself distracted. Wadanohara joined Dolphi and actually made a little origami figure with her, while Sal watched and tried to memorize the steps.

Eventually, everyone started getting tired, especially Dolphi, who always had an early bedtime. There was only one problem with that…

"Oh…" Looking around the room, Wadanohara suddenly realized something that she should have thought of a _lot_ earlier. Her arms wrapped around Dolphi, steadying the sleepy little dolphin girl. "Um…I kind of forgot. It's been so long since we've stayed overnight on the boat…we only have three beds in here."

Fukami rose from the bed he'd been sitting on, relinquishing it to their use. "No problem." Succinctly, he stashed his book away in a bookcase…and began to curl his tentacles up underneath him. "I don't need a bed." The others watched, confusedly, as he began to arrange his own tentacles, folding them around and under him…until he had his own personal squishy octo-bed.

"Aha…well, that's sure useful," Sal commented, incredulously.

"And I know!" Memoca flapped over, cradling Dolphi between her and Wadanohara. The dolphin cracked open her dark eyes to stare back at her friend. "…Dolphi and I can sleep together! We've done that before, and it was nice! Right, Dolphi?"

Dolphi blinked…and then gave a tiny smile. "…Yeah. Memoca's feathers are soft."

Wadanohara let go, leaving her with a pat on the head, and they chose the second bed near the nightstand. Memoca lifted the covers and let Dolphi crawl in first.

Silence. Sal looked at Samekichi. Samekichi looked at Sal. A long, smug, silly smile stretched across Sal's lips. Samekichi lowered his eyes into a hard glare. "…..You know what _this_ means…"

"We're _not_…"

"Oh, yes, we are. There's no _choooiiice_…"

"Rrrrgh, do we really…?!"

Sal swept over to the third bed, throwing his jacket and shoes off and snuggling into it, on his back. "C'mon, brother. You get to sleep with me toniiight…"

"Goddammit it, Sal," Samekichi heavily groaned—his phrase of the day, it seemed. It wasn't _too_ unusual, really… They used to sleep together when they were very young, at least so Samekichi had told her…but it was still kind of embarrassing. But there was nothing else to do… It would be completely inappropriate for one of them to sleep in the same bed with Wadanohara.

Resignedly, Samekichi sighed and began to slip off his jacket and anchor necklace. Carefully, he folded up the coat and stashed it underneath the bed, tucking the necklace into a pocket to make absolutely sure he wouldn't lose it. With a dull little _thnk_, his shoes dropped onto the wood floor beside Sal's, and he kneeled onto the bed, glaring straight into his laughing blue eyes. "But don't you dare kick me in your sleep again."

"Of course not. Why would I ever do that?" Humming a little, Sal rolled to the side to make more room on the bed.

Meanwhile, Wadanohara stashed away her hat and ducked into the tiny one-stall bathroom to change into her nightgown. By the time she came back out, the two sharks were settled down under the covers, squished back-to-back. Dolphi and Memoca were already asleep, Memoca softly snoring. Fukami cracked one eye open at her from his self-cushion, his arms crossed comfortably…but then closed it again when she climbed into bed. He was probably just making sure she was okay.

With a satisfied sigh, Wadanohara sank into the cushion. Their mission was far from over…or even really started, but she still felt proud of herself…for being able to invoke such joy in her beloved familiars with her music. There was nothing she needed to be worried about now. And it wasn't long until she fell into peaceful slumber herself.

(-)

Gentle sunlight streamed through the portholes, bathing the small cabin in fresh brightness. Stretching her arms and back slightly, Wadanohara slipped out of bed the next morning, thoroughly refreshed. Her sleep had been satisfying and dreamless, and she was ready to start on the journey again. Softly, she patted down the covers, tucking them back under the pillow, and stroked her loose, wavy hair.

With one glance around the room, she noticed that Fukami had already woken up and left the room. He was probably out on the deck reading or watching the ocean or something. Everyone else was still fast asleep. Memoca had stretched out her legs on her back, practically pushing poor Dolphi off the edge of the bed. Dolphi was still sound asleep, though, and curled in a ball, almost hugging her own tail.

Wadanohara moved to the dresser to retrieve her clothes, and passed the twins' bed on the way. Her heart almost melted into gooey blobs. _Ohmygosh, that's so adorable…_

Whether intentionally or just out of habit, Samekichi and Sal had shuffled into a close, comfy position in their sleep. Sal was snuggling his face into Samekichi's side, lightly tucking against him…and Samekichi's hand rested over Sal's head, squishing his fin-spike down a bit. It was just such a protective, affectionate gesture…even if Samekichi wasn't even aware of what he was doing. It was probably a subconscious, natural motion for him.

Samekichi was really such a caring, kind soul, even if he didn't show it often. He really was very protective of Sal, too. Though he'd restrained himself at the time, Wadanohara had noticed the terrible pain behind his eyes when Sal had gotten so injured in the battle yesterday. He'd probably had to be this way growing up…to protect his brother from being bullied by other sharks. The unfortunate truth was that Sal wasn't very strong, physically, and he might've gotten beat up quite a bit if Samekichi hadn't been there to fight for him. It was just so wonderfully endearing…how much he cared about him. It made her love him all the more.

Wadanohara had to tear her eyes away from them so she could go get dressed. She was practically humming with happiness as she quietly got herself ready for the day.

Gently slipping out the door so as not to wake her sleeping familiars, she stepped out onto the deck, finding Fukami standing out near the edge. "Morning, Fukami!"

"…Good morning, Wadanohara."

She hadn't talked with him in a while, and that was kind of sad. Fukami was always so calm and reassuring, and he could be good company, if sometimes a little too quiet. "You're up early. I hope it wasn't uncomfortable for you, sleeping like that."

"Oh, no, not at all. I just…wanted some time to think."

They stood for a while in silent peace, eyes sweeping across the rolling waves.

"…If something's really wrong…I hope we figure it out soon." It was unusual for Fukami to try to start a conversation like this…but he was really trying. Something was weighing on his mind, and he needed to release it somehow…even if it really had nothing to do with the mission.

Wadanohara set her mouth into a firm line. "Yes. I…hope it's just nothing and we don't find anything, but on the other hand, I hope we _do_ find something, because…I don't want to be oblivious to it."

Fukami closed his eyes. "I know what you mean."

For a few more moments, the two of them stood watch together…until Wadanohara decided she should probably fetch something for breakfast and check to see if anyone else was up yet.

Almost as soon as she opened the door, a heavy _thump_ shook through the cabin, immediately followed by shouting voices. _Yep, they're up_.

"Sal, what the _hell_?!"

"Hahahahahahahaha!"

"Will you guys _shut up_?!"

"He was freaking sniffing my armpits or something like a freak!"

"Good morning to you too, brother, dearest."

"God, what is _wrong_ with you?"

Wadanohara couldn't help smiling as she stepped in on the scene. Sal was in a heap on the floor next to the bed, obviously having been shoved off by a rather flustered-looking Samekichi. The covers were all tangled and rumpled in a mass. Memoca had shot up and was squawking at them for disturbing her slumber…while Dolphi was still curled up, awake but not minding at all. "Hello, everyone."

"Ah, hello, Wadanohara!" Sal immediately scrambled to his feet, slightly embarrassed by his position. "I hope you slept well. I hope you weren't rudely awakened by an inconsiderate shark who just couldn't contain his anger. Cause let me tell you, that's brutal."

"You were the one invading my personal space!"

"Oh, c'mon. I've lived with you for how many years now? _What_ personal space?"

Wadanohara just chuckled and let the two of them bicker it out a bit more, while she began to arrange the table. Eventually, they all lifted fully out of bed, even Dolphi, who probably could've gone on sleeping all morning. They shuffled around, preparing themselves for the day. All of it was so very normal…though Sal did take an oddly long time in the bathroom. Memoca even banged and barked at the door because she needed to go, and he still wasn't out yet. Fortunately, it wasn't much longer.

Another warm, breezy, clear, pristine day greeted them when they all finally made their way out onto the deck. Back to work. Fukami helped drag up the anchor, and Wadanohara took control again, nudging the boat into a gentle cruise westward. The familiars took up their lookout positions once more, scanning for unusual activity.

Again…nothing was turning up. An hour or so in, Wadanohara tried a detection spell again…nothing. Samekichi was giving her a concerned look. She was going to keep trying, though, even if he was worried that she was using her magic for no reason. She had to keep trying. This test or mission or whatever it was…she wasn't going to let herself fail it. Not this way.

Time passed. Their positions shifted, but the familiars remained on strict lookout. Afternoon was approaching.

The tapping of footfalls on the wooden floor behind her announced that someone had left their post. And she was pretty sure who.

"Um…hey. If nothing's turning up, still, I could try scouting around again."

Samekichi gave his brother a hard look over his shoulder. "Are you really that bored already?"

"Eh. Yes and no."

Wadanohara turned to search Sal's face, and…something really seemed off. Though his lips stretched into a smile, his eyes held something troubled. He stood gripping one arm to the side, more anxiously than he usually would be about this. Was he still feeling bad about himself? Had being injured by Samekichi during their dance reinforced his feelings of inferiority? She really hoped not…and she wished there were something she could do, so he didn't have to feel that way. That was probably what this whole "scouting around" business was about now…Sal wanted to contribute something…something special that he could add to their efforts.

"Alright," she told him, offering a friendly smile. "Go ahead. We should try something different anyway."

He grinned and rushed to the boat's edge, immediately throwing himself into the ocean…though, somehow, he seemed a little less chipper about it. Almost like this was something he _had_ to do rather than something he _wanted_ to do. That definitely didn't seem right.

A crazy idea popped into Wadanohara's mind. There would be consequences for this, but…she wanted to. She wanted to so badly. To get a chance to talk to him, to try to figure things out. A part of her was attached to Sal, just as a different part was attached to Samekichi…and her other familiars, in their own wonderful ways. She couldn't stand this. Desperately, she broke into a sprint to the boat railing after him…

"_Wadanohara_!" Samekichi cried, darting forward, reaching out for her…but it was too late. She'd already dove off the edge of the boat into the water below.

"Wadanohara, what are you doing?!" The only thing that stopped him from automatically leaping in after her was that Sal's shark-head appeared, gliding over to her side.

Wadanohara bobbed up and down, treading the water and moving a little bit closer to him. This was exactly what she'd been hoping for.

"Are you_ nuts_?!" Samekichi shouted, practically tearing his fluffy collar apart. But she only ignored him for the time being.

"W-Wadanohara, are you okay?!" Sal reached out his flippers a little and stared at her with especially wide, round eyes.

She giggled. "I'm fine, Sal. I just felt like taking a little dip along with you."

He nervously chuckled a bit in reply. Something still seemed wrong about him. He should be overjoyed. He should be flipping up out of the water and clapping, swimming circles around her. He should be offering to give her a ride, blowing raspberries at Samekichi, and trying to make her laugh, like he always did. Not this…demure, anxious, unsure hesitation.

"And I wanted to talk to you." Wadanohara paddled through a wave, right in front of him. She reached out and soothingly rubbed his smooth, alabaster side. His muscles tensed a little at her touch…only confirming her suspicions. "Sal…are you really alright? You seem kind of…depressed or something lately."

"Heh… Well…I might be catching a cold." Sal's eyes rolled back a little when he admitted this. "I have been feeling kind of tired and weak. Like when I slept for so long. That might be why I seem down. I…don't have as much energy." He chuckled, lightly. "I should probably find something to take before I infect everyone on this boat. I'm really sorry if you catch it."

A little saddened, Wadanohara gently rubbed his snout, his round blue eyes almost crossed to look up at her. "I just don't want you making yourself ill over what happened at the palace…"

"Oh, no, no!" Sal wriggled back and forth. "I assure you, I'm over that now. It's a fresh start, right? _Fwiish_, out the window." He nudged up against her palm a bit. "You worry about this mission. I'll worry over my own health, okay?"

Wadanohara wasn't entirely convinced, but she gave him a tiny smile anyway. "If you're _sure_…"

"Sure I'm sure." Sal nodded upwards a bit. "Now, let's get you back on board before my other half has an aneurism."

Samekichi did look like he was about to burst a blood vessel.

Wadanohara extended her arms, fitting them around Sal's snout. With a cheerful smile, he hopped upwards slightly, making her bounce, and she gave a short laugh. Samekichi was probably throwing a personal fit right now, and she loved imagining it.

Carefully, Sal glided to the ladder rungs, pushing Wadanohara within reach of them. Complacently, she reached out to grab the first rung, pulling herself off him and up onto the ladder. Her clothes were soaking wet, but she could probably dry them swiftly with magic.

"I'll see you in a bit," Sal cheerily told her. "When I report back."

"Yes, of course. Don't stay out too long." She gave him a return smile, and finally began to climb back up onto the boat. By the time she reached the top, he'd already disappeared into the blue depths.

For the next several minutes, Wadanohara had to endure Samekichi fretting over her and admonishing her for acting so impulsively…but at the same time, it was adorable how upset he was getting over this and how much he'd been worried for her safety.

Part of her wanted to discuss Sal with him—if he'd noticed how oddly he'd been acting and if he had any better insight. But eventually, she decided against it. If it seemed like she was fixating on Sal at all, she might start sending the wrong messages and upsetting them both.

Instead, she focused on how much she'd wanted to go for a swim, maybe perhaps suggesting that _he_ could take her for a swim next time. This _was _pretty boring, and she honestly kind of wished they could play around a bit more on this journey. Oh, well. At least they were getting closer to the far western reaches of the sea, where they really needed to focus their efforts.

An hour later, Sal stepped back onto the deck. He walked a little oddly and pressed a hand to the side of his leg. "Nothing to really report, sadly." He sighed. "Well, it's a good thing, at least, but…we've got to find _something_."

"Yeah, I know." Samekichi scowled. "Let's get everyone together here and talk about it—having them on stakeout all this time isn't doing any good, it seems."

Wadanohara agreed to that plan, and soon, everyone had gathered at the bow end, looking out across the bare expanse and idly wondering what they should try next.

In the meanwhile, a few hostile fish floated past, and Memoca insisted on fighting with them. They conducted a few sea-battles, mostly out of boredom…but a sick feeling was growing in the pits of Wadanohara's stomach.

She switched out each familiar for each battle, trying to give them equal chance to shine…but something was very clearly wrong with Sal. The first time he battled, he was panting and lightly rubbing at his legs afterwards. The second time, his face contorted a bit in pain.

A time came, during a battle with a large grouping of enemy fish, when she decided to use all of her familiars at once. It would be a good exercise in combining their powers and learning to work with each other and their differing abilities. At least, that was what she'd thought. As soon as the hoard disappeared, something happened. Everyone had been so focused on searching the ocean…that they had barely noticed what was going on right under their noses. Now…it couldn't go on any longer.

The fish disappeared back into the ocean, defeated…Memoca whooped with victory, Samekichi stretched his back…and Sal crumpled to the wooden deck, his entire body shuddering.

"Sal!" Wadanohara and Samekichi were immediately at his side, with the other three following loosely after.

He coughed a bit, clutched his legs again, and tried to speak. He couldn't. It was over. Wadanohara could tell, from the look on his face. There was no way he could pretend he was fine any longer. He was breaking down…his body was failing him, and he couldn't hide this problem now. She'd been worried that something like this might happen.

"Sal." Wadanohara firmly looked him straight in the face, and he shivered, weakly hugging himself around the arms, as if trying to hold himself together. "Something is wrong with you, and I need to know what. As your master, and as your friend…you need to tell me. Now."

Sal twitched and pressed his knees towards his chest. His breathing was ragged, quick, panicked, his face displaying agony…and even fear. But finally, he answered. "I… Y-You see, I…don't really even know. I've been trying to figure it out ever since yesterday morning, before we left, and…I just…" He shook his head, almost rubbing his face against his knees. "I-It didn't get any better, like I thought it would. I didn't…think it was a big deal. I-I didn't want to bother anyone about it, especially since…"

Samekichi silenced him with a glare, his expression dark and insistent. "Now, Sal. Tell us. Now." Even the other three familiars were worried, huddling behind Wadanohara and gazing at him with varying degrees of expressed concern.

"A-Alright…" Sal's eyebrows pinched together as he turned away from their probing eyes, focusing on the cracks of the wooden planks. "It's…probably easier if I just show you…like this…"

While they looked on questioningly, he carefully unfolded himself…and flopped forward, onto his stomach. He stretched himself out, pressing into the deck…and phased into shark form. Everyone backed away around the larger body when it flashed light magical blue and grew and took shape. Sal wouldn't be able to stay this way for long, since he couldn't breathe on land in this body…but this was the only way to really show them, without getting undressed.

Wadanohara crouched slightly, looking around and trying to find anything odd. But almost immediately, Samekichi noticed it. He moved around to the other side with curiosity…and tucked the corners of his mouth down in a scowl. There were bumps near the base of his tail…round, pinkish, and bulging. He reached out slowly to feel one.

"D-Don't press on it," Sal warned. "It hurts when you press on it."

Samekichi gently placed a gloved hand over it and felt around it, confusedly considering. "What _is _this? Some kind of rash?"

"Dunno." Sal's fishy body twitched as he suppressed a gasp through his gills. "But it's there in my human form too."

Wadanohara stepped up to the opposite side, softly cupping her hands around the other bulbous growth. Wordlessly, she closed her eyes…and soft blue energy began to trail down her fingertips, flowing out over the inflamed area.

"_A-Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh_!" A scream erupted from Sal as soon as it touched him, his body wrenching and thrashing. Wadanohara ripped herself away, cutting off the magical stream. With a sudden crackle, Sal morphed back, coughing and gasping and shivering and even whimpering a little.

"Aaaah! I'm sorry!" Wadanohara exclaimed, worriedly holding her hands out. "I didn't know that would hurt! I'm so sorry!"

Sal was still too breathless to respond, and Samekichi placed a hand on the top of his head, comfortingly. His expression was grim, worried.

"What did you just do?" Fukami spoke up. He stood by Wadanohara's side, ready to defend her in a heartbeat, his dull eyes focused on the shuddering white shark.

"I-I tried to heal him." Distressed beads of sweat were forming below Wadanohara's bangs. "It didn't…work."

"It didn't _work_?!" Memoca squawked in disbelief. "But…but how could it not work?! Healing magic can heal _anything_!"

Wadanohara slowly shook her head, grayish eyes wide. "Not _everything_. Whatever that is…it's something that can't be helped with magic alone. That's…concerning. It could be something really serious."

"Whatever it is, it's definitely more than just a rash." Samekichi nodded solemnly. He softly ruffled his brother's hair. "We need to get you to a doctor."

"I'm sorry…" Sal gulped and tried to steady his shaking. He'd curled up again, knees near his chest. "It's okay, Wadda. You were only trying to help me. It…it kinda feels worse, though. It hurts. I just don't know…" He shook himself side-to-side. "They've…gotten bigger, too. They were a lot smaller yesterday. I thought…they'd go away, but…I was wrong. And I've been…feeling really weak, though I don't know if that has something to do with it. Like…these things are sucking away my energy or something."

Wadanohara stared for a moment…before steeling herself…balling her hands into fists over his skirt, and turning back to her trusted octopus familiar. "Fukami. Turn this ship around. We're heading back to town."

He curtly bowed and immediately strode off towards the helm.

"B-But what about the mission?!" Sal broke away from his brother's touch, shoving himself back up onto his feet, despite his quivering legs. "This mission is really important—the princesses even said so! You can't abandon the mission just because of me!"

"Yes, I can," Wadanohara asserted, fixing him with a firm glare. "Don't even suggest that we sacrifice you just to get this mission done."

Fukami didn't even twitch away from the controls, and he slowly began to swing the vessel around in a half-circle.

"Your health and well-being are much more important than some little mission. Especially since we have no idea what's even wrong or how to help it. If we don't do something, you're just going to get worse, and then, who knows what might happen."

"B-B-But, it's not _that_ bad!" Sal flailed. "It's just some lumps. I can deal with the pain. It's really not a problem! I…um…" His attempts were hopelessly weak, and he knew it.

With one movement, Samekichi practically shoved him down into a sitting position on the floor again. "Look. Just sit down and shut up. We're taking you back to town, and that's final."

"Rrrrrgh." Grudgingly, Sal relented, falling silent and just hugging himself in place. No one said a word as the boat turned, and finally began to jet off in the opposite direction.

Wadanohara watched around Fukami's robe and advised him to shift it up into the fastest speed. It was probably still going to take several hours before they could get back to the gate, but at least it wouldn't be as long as it took to get out here.

Samekichi tromped into the cabin and retrieved a chair, plopping it down on the deck and firmly commanding Sal to take a seat. He wasn't too happy about it, but he pushed himself to comply…he'd learned throughout his life that there was no fighting his brother when he was so determined to take care of him.

The wind blew louder and more forcefully in their ears, since they were moving much faster. Yet, Sal could still be heard when he gently spoke up again. He hung his head slightly, his face light yellow-pink in shame.

"I can't stand this. Why? It's not… It doesn't matter this much to me."

"Sal." Samekichi pressed his hand onto his shoulder, rubbing a little through his grey-brown shoulder sleeve. "Why didn't you tell us? This…wouldn't have happened this way if you had just _told _us."

Sal shook his head, sadly. "I…didn't want to bother anyone. I just…I'm always causing problems for you. I hate it. I feel like I'm just a burden on all of you. I didn't want to be such a burden…" Samekichi sighed. He'd probably had to deal with this sort of issue quite a few times already in the past.

Though she hadn't spoken much during the whole ordeal, Memoca came to Sal's side now…and folded her wings around his neck. His head lifted, his clear blue eyes blinking in surprise. She never usually displayed any kind of serious affection like this. She pulled away, and good-naturedly gave him a quick slap on the back. "If you were really such a burden, we would've tossed you out a long time ago."

"Heh." Sal managed a chuckle. "Well, that's a wonderful vote of confidence."

"And really…" Wadanohara was listening in, and she chimed in to give her support. "You were permitted to become my familiar for a reason. Because you would be useful to me. You never would have passed the test if you would have just been a hindrance."

A little smile graced Sal's face and he averted his eyes. "That does make sense… Thank you, Wadanohara."

After a while, Wadanohara pulled out her ocarina again to pass the time, and got everyone to sing along (except for Samekichi). Even Fukami was humming a little bit. Sal eventually felt more stable, and his legs had stopped hurting so much, so he felt up to standing and walking around the boat a little again. Dolphi nudged them into playing her board game again, and they gathered around the table in the cabin. This time, Wadanohara played with them, since she'd handed sea captain duties off to Fukami. All in all, they tried to keep calm and act like everything was perfectly natural.

Secretly, Wadanohara was a little glad that they'd been pulled away from the mission…it really hadn't been getting anywhere anyway. It would be a little hard to explain why and how she'd had to abandon it, without making Sal the culprit, but she told herself she would deal with that when the time really arose.

By the time they finally reached the gateway to the undersea kingdom, the sun was setting, staining the sky and ocean orange-red. Fukami expertly docked, and they all rushed to the inner ring.

Wadanohara cleverly dodged questions from the crab guardians and Mr. Swordfish, saying that she was fine but she couldn't really discuss the details of her trip just yet. It was hugely fortunate that they didn't run into Pulmo or any of the other advisors on their way down through the path to Deepsea Town.

And at last, earlier than any of them had expected, they were bursting through the front door of their house, rearranging and replacing whatever small items they had brought with them. Although Sal insisted that he felt fine, Wadanohara and Samekichi forced him to go upstairs and lie down in bed. They weren't exactly trusting his definition of "fine" anymore.

As soon as she had a chance, Wadanohara bustled out into the town and enlisted the aid of a local doctor-mermaid. She wouldn't be as prestigious as a doctor fish from the palace, but for emergency purposes, she'd do just fine…especially since she was willing to take sudden work late in the evening like this. Though really, she couldn't refuse when the sea's guardian witch came to her, asking her to please take a look at one of her familiars who was suddenly very ill.

They entered the house just as the deep blue darkness of night was descending over Deepsea Town. "Thank you for making this house call on such short notice like this." Wadanohara earnestly told the medical mermaid, who was dressed in light purple and carrying a hastily-packed bag of supplies. "He's right upstairs—we made him lie down. We don't really know what it is, but he's exceptionally weak and he's got these weird bumps on his legs…"

Samekichi waited on the couch with her while the mermaid was examining Sal upstairs. It was worrying, sure…but at least they should have an answer. Memoca and Dolphi were distracting themselves in the other room by playing some sort of pretend game, and Fukami was keeping his tentacles busy, idly baking some muffins for tomorrow.

It didn't take too long. When the long, pigtailed, purple hair of the mermaid appeared at the bottom of the stairs, Wadanohara was immediately on her feet, gravitating towards her. "So…what is it? What's the matter with him?"

The mermaid walked right past, barely glancing at the worried girl. "He seems perfectly healthy. Fatigued, yes, but that was all I could tell."

"Are you _sure_?!" Wadanohara's voice strained, lifting up a few notes. "But…what about the _bumps_? What in the world are those bumps?"

"Just a rash, that's all."

"Ah…!" Before she could get another word out, the mermaid left, yanking the door closed behind her.

"Ah…" What…? Why would she…? Anxiety pressed Wadanohara's face, and her body froze, halfway towards the door. Something wasn't right. Something really, really wasn't right.

"She seemed in an awful rush," Samekichi commented. He was burying his fear, though his hands were shaking a little in his lap.

"…..I…" How could there be _nothing_? It just wasn't possible. As much as she would love to say "Oh, it's okay, Sal, you're perfectly alright, we were worried for nothing", she knew it wasn't true. She was lying. Either the mermaid _had _found something…something she didn't want to talk about…or she'd encountered something even she couldn't understand or explain with medical science.

"I'm writing to my father." Wadanohara finally decided. Determinedly, she marched over to a drawer, ripped out a piece of paper, seized a quill, and clapped them onto the table. "That's not true. I don't know what's going on, but I know that's not true." She withdrew the quill, dipped it, and swiftly began to write. "If I can get this to him tonight, he can come here tomorrow. We need him."

Lord Meikai wasn't medically licensed, but maybe that _wasn't_ what they needed right now. He did have a vast store of knowledge on a great many things—things common people would never have known about. And if Sal's body had rejected Wadanohara's healing magic, maybe this disease was magically-oriented. Maybe it wasn't a disease at all, but a curse or a malicious spell placed upon him. Her father would know. Her father would tell them the truth.

Hastily, Wadanohara scribbled away, explaining the situation and why they needed him right away…meanwhile, Samekichi gently rose from the couch, and slipped away up the stairs to visit with his brother. This was all happening so fast—such a whirlwind of hustle and activity. He needed to talk to him. He just needed to talk to him. Samekichi needed to be there, every step of the way. All the anxiety was welling up within him, and he needed to see Sal, to look him in the eyes, and know that he was still the same as ever.

When he appeared at the top of the stairs, Sal glanced over at him from the bed, his expression almost relieved. He was probably glad it was him and not another doctor or something.

Wordlessly, he came to his bedside, taking a deep breath and trying to act natural. He figured he might as well start by filling him in. "Hey. Wadanohara's putting in a summons to her dad for tomorrow. That lady didn't find jack. Hopefully, Lord Meikai can figure it out. I'd say he probably can. I mean, what _can't_ he do?"

Sal shivered a little under the covers, but remained silent. He gazed off towards a window on the opposite wall, avoiding making a response.

Samekichi grabbed a chair from the smaller desk in the room and set it down right beside his brother's bed. He sat, and gently took his pale hand in his glove.

Sal turned tired blue eyes to him and finally gave a feeble smile. He was still worried, himself, he could tell. He could see it in the creases of his forehead and the tension in his shoulders.

Softly, Samekichi began to rub the back of his hand a little, with one thumb, trying to be comforting. It…was hurting him more than ever, especially not knowing what was even wrong. He'd promised…he'd promised always to protect his dear twin, and it pained him, knowing that something was hurting him so much, and he could do nothing about it. Unknown illness…the one thing he couldn't foresee or defend against… "Sal, it's alright. We won't make you go back there, especially not now. He's going to come here to take a look at you."

"I know…" Sal's voice was almost a whisper. "I just…I don't know what's going on. I…don't know what's happening to my own body, and I'm…scared."

Samekichi had to bite back the pressure in his throat. He was powerless. He couldn't tell him it would be okay…because what if it _wasn't_ okay? No one knew anything. All he could do was this…

"That's completely understandable. And no matter what, I'll be here for you. Whatever he says. I'll be here to help you, okay?" He dropped his hand, and gently, affectionately patted his shoulder.

Sal gave him another weak, glowing smile. "Thank you so much, Samekichi. I…I'm really happy for everything you've done for me, really." He sighed. "I hate having to worry you like this, though. I really hate it. Just once, I'd like to be the one helping _you_. But that's never going to happen, is it? Haha."

"Hey." Samekichi cracked a small smirk. "You never know. It could happen. And I need my little brother around, just in case."

"Pff—you, getting injured or sick like this? I couldn't picture it."

_But you do help me_. The words would never be aired aloud, but Samekichi could feel them in his heart. _You help me every day…just by being alive. _

In a few more minutes, Wadanohara came up the stairs to announce that she'd just delivered the letter to a speedy postal carrier fish, and implored him to send it over right away. She came to the side of the bed to check on Sal as well, though he kept repeating that he felt fine, just tired and limp.

Samekichi was left to wonder just where in the world this had even come from. Sal's problems had all started with their trip to the palace… Maybe something had infected him while he was there. He'd always been strangely unnerved at even being near it. He was starting to wish they hadn't taken him…that he'd made him stay home that day.

At least they could all take comfort in Lord Meikai's impending visit. He should be able to tell what was wrong, and maybe there would be a potion he could administer or a spell he could perform to ease the infection out of Sal's body and help shrink the inflamed bubbles on his legs.

Everyone was especially quiet that night, giving Sal as much time to rest as they could…even Memoca. The incredibly long day, the doomed mission, and the frantic tension had all wiped them out, and they really didn't stay up that long, either. No one had really expected something like this to happen when they'd woken up this morning.

But sometimes, there were things no one could ever predict…things that no one would ever see coming. Things that were so unexpected, they changed the way you lived your life. Sal's lumps…were just one of those things…

(-)

_Tick, tick, tick, tick_… Pressing in…breath…fade worming through…loose tightness. One second, two seconds, three seconds… _Tick, tick, tick, tick_… Silence blasting inside eardrums…Deathly stillness…Settled terror… _Tick, tick, tick_…

Everyone was gathered in the main room, lined up on the couches. Dolphi and Memoca on one, Wadanohara in the middle of Fukami and Samekichi on the other. No one dared vibrate a vocal chord. Wadanohara was holding the boys' sleeves, closing her eyes and occasionally drawing in slow breaths. Samekichi looked even paler than they'd thought possible. It was a strange day indeed when you could hear the clock hands ticking in that house.

It was taking a long, long time. That was probably a good sign…things were actually being accomplished. But it was literal torture for _everyone_. Memoca shuddered and suppressed urges to pick out her feathers. Small teardrops threatened to spill over Dolphi's cheeks. Fukami sat straight, ramrod and rigid. They all seemed to think in unison. _Lord Meikai…please tell us. Please don't let it be anything horrible. Anything life-threatening. Please. _

Hours passed…though in reality, only thirty minutes. Twenty more minutes…Ten… A whole afternoon. And then.

Lord Meikai was the center of the universe, taking quiet, gentle steps. His dark-robed form shifted closer…closer. It was a normal pace, though it seemed like he moved through molasses. Time froze when he seated himself. Everything, everyone froze. Everyone reached for their savior with fearful, quizzical gazes. Lord Meikai. Lord Meikai knew. He must know now. He had the answer. The answer everyone wanted to hear, and yet never wanted to hear.

Soft water flowing around it, Lord Meikai set his hat on the table, where it flopped, tired and deflated. He opened his mouth…and destroyed the wall of clear silence. "He's unconscious for now, and he'll probably sleep for a while longer. I had to induce him into a short coma so I could check…"

He'd had to be _unconscious _during the examination? Just…what had he had to do?

Lord Meikai set his mouth in a line, deep gray eyes narrow and grave. Immediately, everyone was on high alert. Wadanohara slipped her hands away and squeezed them into her lap. Samekichi tried to put on a brave face, but he was really a nervous wreck. His hands were fidgeting at the flaps of his jacket, and one leg was constantly twitching. Wadanohara gently clutched his shoulder under the pretense of bracing herself…though she did it more to comfort him than anything else.

The cold intake of her father's breath brought a shiver to her heart. He was grave, much too grave… This was the most serious she'd seen him in quite a long time.

"… I must be perfectly honest with you. I'm not sure how to begin to explain this."

"W-what's wrong?" Wadanohara's worries burst in her mouth. "Can it be cured? Do you know…?"

He shook his head, gently, pieces of stray brown hair bouncing. "It's…not certain."

"Not _certain_?!" Samekichi couldn't take this anymore. He was going to tear himself apart. "What the hell do you mean by that?!"

Lord Meikai sighed. The edges of his mouth tugged down and he closed his eyes. Something was churning in his mind, probably selecting the right words to tell them…the right _way_ to tell them. "It is…something with a magical orientation. Physical and incorporeal at the same time. I have never encountered this sort of anomaly in my entire wizarding career. I should like to research it. You see…"

He paused a second, and Samekichi was ready to leap up and tear the words from his mouth. Wadanohara's breath hitched for the announcement.

"…At this very moment, Sal's body contains a sort of parasite composed of magic energy. I could not be exactly certain of this parasite's function and ultimate goals, but I can only tell you what I managed to glean while probing it with my own energy. It was…a very delicate procedure."

So…it _was_ magic-based, after all. No wonder the medical mermaid hadn't been able to find anything wrong. Lord Meikai stopped to collect his thoughts, and everyone could only stare into the table, letting this soak in. What in the world…?

He threaded his fingers together, thoughtfully, before speaking again. "The parasite is rewriting parts of his genetic code…causing those growths on his legs. I suspect they'll grow much larger before their formation is complete. They're not a rash or irritation—they're new parts of his body forming. Naturally, they are going to cause pain and discomfort…just like when new teeth come in. And he may be much more tired and weak, since it is leeching off his own bodily magic energy."

"W…Whuh…?" Samekichi's mouth dropped open…then, his chest heaved, and he snapped back again. "C-Can't you just _remove _it?! Get it out of him! Extract it from his body before it does any further damage!"

"If only it were so simple." Lord Meikai rested his head on his fists, looking genuinely distressed for the first time many of them had ever seen. This was dreadfully, terribly serious, and no one was ready for it. "…This unknown energy parasite has become literally entwined with his brain matter. It is possibly rewiring parts of his brain to accommodate the new body parts…at least I hypothesize. Now, I _could_ attempt to draw it out…but I fear that if I did so, parts of his psyche—his entire personality even—would likely be damaged…or even wiped away."

Samekichi ground his sharp teeth. He wanted to object…but there was no possible recourse. His hand twitched into a fist, frustration and hopelessness gripping his muscles tight.

"So…what can we _do_?" Wadanohara's voice was small and soft. There was no way out, it seemed. Either leave Sal to suffer, or risk essentially killing him.

"Support him." Lord Meikai softly advised her…giving his daughter a small, loving smile. "He needs you…all of you more than ever. I could not exactly determine if there would be any other symptoms or changes due to this parasite… It's possible that, once his new body parts have grown in, he can carry on with his life as always. But there may be additional consequences. I will need to check up on him at least once a week to monitor the energy's development."

Samekichi forcefully shook his head, spiky pieces bouncing. "But…I just don't understand! Where did this _come_ from? How did he _get_ this? How did it get _into_ him?"

Lord Meikai heaved another sigh. "We may never know. It may have something to do with what we've reported in the ocean recently. It may have always been inside of him, lying inactive until now. I'm going to start researching possible sources and similar reported incidents as soon as I return to the palace. Do not fear—I will help him as much as I am able."

Samekichi rested his forehead in his hand, and Wadanohara subconsciously stroked his other arm a little. She could share in his sentiments, and she could almost feel what he was thinking right now. _Why? Why Sal? Why did this have to happen to _him_? Why him? _

Lord Meikai folded his hands over his dark pants. "I believe that's all I can tell you at this point in time."

There were a million more questions Wadanohara wanted to ask. What kind of body parts _were _they? An extra set of arms or legs? A second pair of eyeballs? Why would a magic parasite _need_ him to grow extra limbs? Was it going to take over even more of his body? Did it affect his magic usage? Was he ever going to be able to swim and dance and laugh again the way he always did? But she knew that was as far as the answers went. At least now, they were aware. They could monitor this thing and try to keep it under control. Maybe there was nothing they could specifically do…but they could at least help in any way they could…try to ease his pain.

"Thank you, Papa…" Slowly, a little unsteadily, Wadanohara lifted up onto her feet, and her father followed, gently.

"I should return to the palace archives and begin my research right away. Rest assured, I _will _put my best efforts into this."

"Thank you." Father and daughter embraced, folding into a warm, soft hug.

The familiars watched, at least taking comfort in their close and caring relationship. They murmured their gratefulness as well, even Samekichi, though he was practically biting into his lip.

As soon as the wizard took his leave, and the door closed gently behind him, awkward silence pervaded over the room. No one knew what to say. What _was _there to say? Wadanohara stared down at her shoes. Fukami crossed his arms. Memoca picked at her dress. Dolphi tucked her arms behind her back.

"…I'm going to check on him." Samekichi finally spoke.

"I-I want to come too," Wadanohara decided.

"Me too!" Memoca added.

Eventually, everyone trailed up the stairs after Samekichi, naturally concerned. Lord Meikai had said that Sal would sleep for another couple of hours…but right now, everyone just wanted to see him…to confirm that he was still living and breathing with their own eyes.

Sal's head barely poked out above the covers, lolling to the side. His mouth opened slightly…and he looked for all the world, perfectly content. Though Samekichi knew that this position wasn't natural for him.

To everyone's surprise, Dolphi was the first to approach. Gingerly, she reached forward…and extended her arms around his body in a half-hug. "…Poor Mr. Sal."

Wadanohara almost felt like crying. _No._ She fought against the knot in her throat. _There's no reason to cry. It's not hopeless. We still have a chance. He might get better still. _

Memoca joined Dolphi at the bedside, trying to help her feel better.

Before she even noticed what she was doing, Wadanohara was reaching out and slipping her hand into Samekichi's. His hand gripped back gently, reassuringly. They would get through this together. They had to be strong…for him.

Now…the only problem was… How in the world were they supposed to tell Sal all of this when he finally did wake up?!


End file.
